Indian police in Bengaluru has arrested a Nigerian Samuel Ikkena for allegedly running a major drug distribution network, with authorities recovering MDMA crystals (ecstasy)worth about Rs 2 crore (over N290 million).
Indian Express reports on Tuesday that the 44-year-old suspect was arrested by the Yelahanka police in Bengaluru, Karnataka State, for allegedly running an MDMA racket disguised as a clothing business.
MDMA, also known as ecstasy, is a psychoactive drug often sold illegally for recreational use.
Ikkena allegedly “procured MDMA near Bannerghatta for Rs 50,000 (around N3.5 million) and sold it at higher rates through a structured illegal network.”
He came to India in 2012 on a business visa, initially trading garments in Delhi and Mumbai before moving to Bengaluru in 2025.
Police officers recovered 2 kg of MDMA crystals, valued at around Rs 2 crore (N140 million), along with 31.396 kg of cannabis (ganja), 220 g of hydro ganja, additional heroin, and a two-wheeler used for transporting the drugs.
Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said the total contraband was “estimated at Rs 2.57 crore (N180 million), with a potential street value of approximately Rs 5.14 crore (N360 million).”
Ikenna’s arrest was part of a larger operation that led to 11 arrests, including two foreigners and eight locals, at locations across Bengaluru, including Yelahanka, Adugodi, Bharathinagar, Jalahalli, and Pulakeshinagar. The Adugodi police also arrested Baljit Singh, from Uttar Pradesh, and Arjun Joshi, a Nepalese national, for allegedly supplying heroin in the city.
