India Arrests 50 Nigerians In Major Crackdown On Drug Cartel, Hawala Network

A widespread police operation in India has resulted in the arrest of no fewer than fifty Nigerians after security agencies moved against a transnational drug ring believed to be controlling a large distribution and hawala laundering chain across major Indian cities.

Fresh details from NDTV on Thursday showed that Delhi Police led the coordinated offensive with strong backing from the Telangana Police EAGLE squad, marking one of the biggest anti-narcotics crackdowns in the country in recent years.

Months of undercover work reportedly fed into a string of synchronized raids in Delhi, allowing officers to strip away several layers of a cartel accused of moving methamphetamine and cocaine through a network stretching across the Indian capital and other regions.

Investigators found that the group relied on encrypted platforms and technology-driven delivery styles similar to food dispatch applications to carry out drug drop-offs without physical contact between buyers and sellers.

Reports from NDTV said the syndicate built a complex system of coded communication, staggered contact points and app-based routes to dodge security surveillance while pushing illicit substances to a vast customer pool.

Officials added that the cartel’s operations were further supported by a sex-trade network that handled concealment, transport and distribution logistics, creating a wider shield for narcotics movement.

Police sources disclosed that more than two thousand people had already been identified as recipients of drugs through courier channels and deliberate dead-drop exchanges that masked the identity of suppliers.

Another layer of the investigation revealed that the prostitution network played double roles for the cartel, offering protection as well as access to steady clients for drug circulation.

Authorities noted in the NDTV report that the sweeping arrests followed months of cooperative intelligence sharing between Delhi Police, Telangana’s elite drug enforcement group and teams from Noida, Vizag and Gwalior.

On the financial side, detectives traced large portions of the cartel’s income to hawala operators who helped convert drug proceeds into goods such as garments and human hair. These items were then exported to Lagos to make the illegal profits appear like legitimate commercial earnings.

One suspected ringleader was believed to have pushed at least fifteen crore rupees through the hawala channels, according to investigators who spoke with NDTV.

The arrest of the fifty Nigerian nationals is being described by Indian authorities as a major breakthrough in the ongoing campaign to dismantle heavily rooted and constantly shifting drug cartels across the country.

The latest sweep is now seen by Indian police as a strong move toward choking a cartel they described as deeply entrenched and steadily evolving.