Major Multi-State Raids Bust Nationwide Drug Cartel Run by Nigerian Handlers

Key Points

Multiple raids across several States in late November 2025 has dismantled a major drug cartel run by Nigerian handlers operating from clusters in Delhi and linked to a nationwide supply chain. The coordinated operation, carried out by Telangana’s Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) unit with support from the Narcotics Control Bureau, Delhi Police Crime Branch, and Noida Police, targeted 20 locations in the capital along with follow-up searches in Noida, Gwalior and Visakhapatnam.

The operation involved around 200 personnel and dismantled a multi-crore operation supplying thousands of customers with drugs ranging from ecstacy to heroin.

The crackdown resulted in more than 50 arrests, including many Nigerian nationals overstaying their visas, and multiple Indian associates who managed mule accounts, logistics and distribution. Officials said the network had been supplying narcotics to more than two thousand consumers and peddlers across the country.

Courier Parcels Packed with Narcotics

The syndicate relied heavily on courier routes. Parcels sent from neighbourhoods such as Lado Sarai, Mehrauli, Munirka and Nilothi were often found stuffed with drugs hidden inside shoes, shirts, cosmetics and other goods. Thousands of parcel logs, POD sheets and CCTV clips were examined to map the operation. In one raid, police found cocaine and methamphetamine concealed inside a refrigerator.

Investigators traced eleven Hyderabad-based consumers who regularly ordered drugs through courier shipments, making payments to mule accounts. Dozens of consumers and peddlers in other States were also identified through cash deposits, courier trails and bank records.

A total of fifty-nine mule accounts were uncovered. The top twenty-seven alone showed credits of nearly ₹7.9 crore through more than two thousand suspicious transactions. Key handlers included Titing Guite with ₹3.72 crore routed through her accounts, Yuvraj Solanki with credits of ₹1.98 crore, and Badruddin, whose six accounts showed ₹15 lakh and who operated alongside associate Sama Umar.

See Also: Nigerian National Detained in Delhi for Overstaying visa, Deportation Initiated

Multi-Agency Surveillance and Coordinated Raids

Surveillance had been underway for more than two weeks. A 124-member EAGLE Force contingent travelled to Delhi to join teams from the Crime Branch, NCB and Noida Police. Officers conducted ground reconnaissance on foot before dawn raids began simultaneously across 20 sites.

Three women linked to the syndicate were arrested in Visakhapatnam after intelligence suggested they had flown out of Delhi. Police said they were involved in supplying drugs to university students. More arrests followed in Noida and Gwalior, where local police provided on-ground support.

The seized drugs included 5,340 ecstasy pills, 250 grams of cocaine, 109 grams of heroin and 250 grams of methamphetamine, collectively valued at about ₹3.5 crore. Delhi Police have taken custody of the foreign nationals and seized material, and deportation procedures are underway in dozens of cases.

A Network Built on Misuse of Visas, Banking Channels and Courier Systems

Senior officers said the investigation revealed extensive misuse of student visas, with many foreign nationals having no academic attendance and instead engaging in drug sales and sex work in clusters. They also noted repeated re-entry into India using new passports after deportation.

Authorities emphasised the critical role played by Indian facilitators who provided mule accounts and accommodation. Courier firms were used across the board, prompting calls for stronger regulation of shipments and monitoring of suspicious parcel traffic.

Officials said the case highlights the need for closer scrutiny of visa extensions, banking patterns and courier networks. The multi-State raid, they added, has not only exposed a sophisticated cartel but has also provided a template for future coordinated action against transnational narcotics networks. [Rh]

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