Authorities in Hyderabad, India, have arrested three individuals—including a Nigerian national and two local accomplices—for allegedly running an international drug racket from a high-end residential complex in the city. The suspects were apprehended with narcotics worth Rs 30 lakh following a raid by the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) and Narsingi Police.
Acting on credible intelligence pointing to a Goa–Hyderabad drug supply chain, law enforcement officers stormed a flat in Anuhar Coral Bells, located in Alkapur Township, Manikonda, during an active drug transaction. The raid led to the seizure of 107 grams of cocaine, 25 grams of ecstasy pills, and six mobile phones allegedly used to coordinate drug deliveries.
Among those arrested was 22-year-old Chukwuemeka Wisdom Onyeka, also known by multiple aliases including Victor Chukwu and Divine Chukwu Emeka. A Nigerian citizen from Imo State, Onyeka had been residing in Goa while pursuing a BSc in Information Technology at Gokul Global University in Gujarat. He was previously arrested in 2023 on similar charges and is accused of using multiple fake passports and student visas to evade detection.
His Indian collaborators were identified as Gopishetty Rajesh, 40, a wedding planner and resident of the same Manikonda apartment complex, and Bommadevara Veera Raju, 32, a real estate and car dealer originally from Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. Both men have criminal records related to previous drug trafficking cases. Investigators say Rajesh and Veera Raju, once users themselves, gradually climbed the supply chain and began catering to Hyderabad’s upper-class clientele through connections forged during trips to Goa.
Authorities believe the Hyderabad operation is part of a larger international syndicate run by a Nigerian kingpin operating under various aliases including Max, Princewel, Buchi, and Gabriel. The cartel reportedly recruits African nationals in India, often posing as students, to distribute drugs across cities.
TGANB linked Rajesh to specific drug deliveries, including a 5-gram cocaine supply to a client, Phani Raj, during a rave party in Aziz Nagar on May 29, and another 15-gram delivery in Mangalagiri on May 31. Other individuals named as clients include Pavithra Reddy, Satish, Sada Shiva, Sudhir, and Bhanu. Another key supplier in the network has been identified as Hanumant Babuso Divkar, alias Baba, from Goa.
The TGANB has since issued a public appeal urging parents and guardians to monitor their children’s behaviour and associations, citing a troubling rise in drug abuse among youth. Reaffirming its commitment to a zero-tolerance stance, the bureau stated:
“No one involved in drug trafficking—whether supplier, consumer, or even a celebrity—will be spared. We will track and apprehend offenders anywhere, anytime.”
Investigations into the international supply network and its local collaborators remain ongoing.