The Delhi Police in collaboration with the Telangana Police’s EAGLE unit have arrested 50 Nigerians in one of India’s largest coordinated crackdowns on a transnational narcotics network. They are believed to be linked to.
An Indian news agency NDTV reported this on Thursday, adding that the Nigerians are members of a sprawling drug-distribution and hawala laundering syndicate spread across several major cities in India.
The report said months of intelligence gathering led to days of simultaneous raids across Delhi, as they dismantled key layers of a cartel moving methamphetamine and cocaine across India.
Investigations, according to the NDTV, revealed that the cartel has a wide customer base using encrypted communication and delivery methods modelled after food-delivery apps to execute drug “dead drops” and avoid face-to-face exchanges.
“The network was extremely sophisticated. They used layered communication channels and app-based delivery patterns to evade law-enforcement detection,” the report stated.
Officials said the syndicate’s distribution chain was also involved with a sex-trade ring, which provided both cover and logistics for drug circulation.
The NDTV reports that “investigators have identified approximately 2,000 individuals who were supplied drugs through courier and dead-drop methods.
“Furthermore, the authorities uncovered that the sex trade was used as a cover for drug supply and distribution, extending the criminal reach of the cartel.”
“The operation, which involved months of intelligence gathering, culminated with the arrest of 50 Nigerian nationals in Delhi. This massive effort was executed in close collaboration with the Telangana Police’s Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement, along with police teams from Noida, Vizag, and Gwalior.”
According to authorities, the cartel routes its proceeds through hawala operators. The illicit profits were converted into goods, including garments and human hair, which were exported to Lagos, Nigeria, disguising the drug earnings as legitimate business.
“The proceeds from drug sales were funnelled through local hawala operators who converted the Indian Rupees into goods such as garments and human hair, shipped to Lagos, Nigeria, effectively cleaning the illicit earnings.”
“One identified kingpin is suspected to have laundered at least ₹15 crores through these hawala channels alone,” the report added.
