Nigerian man arrested, drugs worth Rs 1.25 crore seized

Hyderabad: The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) on Monday, May 2, arrested a Nigerian national and seized drugs worth Rs 1.25 crore from him.

The accused, Emmanuel Bediako alias Maxwell (34), hailing from Enugu state, Nigeria, was found with 150 grams of cocaine, 1,100 ecstasy pills, and two mobile phones, which were seized as evidence.

Based on a tip-off, the TGANB surveilled Emmanuel and arrested him during a raid. Police said he was operating as per the direction of two foreign handlers identified as Sunny and Romey. Emmanuel was peddling drugs across multiple Indian cities.

“Emmanuel had entered India three times using different passports. During his previous visits, he successfully ran the drug business and returned to Nigeria. He re-entered India in January 2025 and has been operating since then,” said a press release from the TGANB.

Authorities suspect he amassed significant wealth through the illegal trade and are investigating links to a broader international drug ring.