India deports 32 Nigerians after huge drug crackdown
Indian authorities have deported 32 Nigerians linked to a wide-ranging transnational drug network, following the recent arrest of about 50 suspects in a massive multi-state narcotics operation. Earlier reports indicated that the crackdown was one of India’s largest coordinated actions targeting a foreign-led drug and hawala syndicate operating across major cities.
According to new details from the Times of India, investigators traced the operation to a Nigeria-based kingpin known only as “Nick,” who is wanted in several drug-trafficking cases. Senior officials with the Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE) disclosed that all the Nigerians arrested in Delhi were allegedly part of Nick’s network.
The report noted that within 10 days of the joint EAGLE–Delhi Police operation that led to the arrest of 50 Nigerian suspects, 32 of them were deported. Investigators said the kingpin, believed to be directing the operation from Nigeria, maintained roughly 100 associates in Delhi, forming a multi-layered supply chain serving clients across India.
A forensic review of seized digital devices revealed that the network had more than 3,000 clients nationwide, with customer data gathered from encrypted communications, delivery records, and payment trails. Some payments reportedly passed through seemingly legitimate businesses that were actually used to launder proceeds from drug sales.
Further findings showed a chain of shell companies allegedly involved in cleaning illicit funds. In one case, a publisher was said to have transferred Rs 20 lakh to Nigeria after partnering with the peddlers. Other collaborators included businessmen in the footwear and apparel sectors.
Delhi Police confirmed that 32 of the detained Nigerians were deported as a priority measure, while seven others remain in custody and are being prosecuted after drugs were recovered from them. Authorities added that the remaining suspects could also face deportation once their documentation and clearance processes are completed.
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