Nigerian national held with ₹1.2 crore worth MDMA

Bengaluru

In a significant breakthrough in the ongoing crackdown on narcotics in the city, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) has arrested a Nigerian national who had allegedly been operating in Bengaluru's drug trade for over a decade. The accused, identified as Chukwuma, was residing in the Avalahalli police limits and was apprehended following a targeted raid.

According to police, the CCB's Narcotics Wing conducted a raid on Chukwuma's residence and seized 600 grams of MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy), valued at approximately ₹1.2 crore in the international black market.

“Chukwuma had been sourcing drugs at low prices and selling them to college students and partygoers in Bengaluru. He was under surveillance, and based on credible intelligence, we carried out a successful raid,” said an official from the Narcotics Control Unit.

The arrest comes just weeks after a high-profile bust involving another Nigerian national, a 25-year-old woman named Princess. She was caught with 5.325 kg of MDMA worth ₹10 crore, cleverly concealed in churidar dress pieces and transported via bus from Delhi to Bengaluru. She had packed the drugs in fabric covers to evade detection.

From Princess, the CCB also seized one Apple mobile phone and 11 churidar dress pieces used as concealment. Authorities are currently on the lookout for another foreign national believed to be involved in the smuggling network.

Both Chukwuma and Princess have been booked under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and relevant provisions of the Foreigners Act. The busts highlight a disturbing trend of international drug cartels operating in Bengaluru, targeting urban youth and exploiting courier loopholes to smuggle synthetic drugs.

Police said investigations are ongoing to trace the larger network behind these operations and warned that more arrests are likely in the coming days.