A Nigerian hairstylist, Ifeoluwa Akinwunmi, risks 20 years in Indian prison after being caught with MDMA worth over N1.8bn hidden in traditional clothing

[dropcap]N[/dropcap]igerian woman faces jail in India after being arrested with illicit drugs valued at over ₦1.8 billion.

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Ifeoluwa Akinwunmi, a 25-year-old hairstylist and nail artist, was reportedly caught with more than five kilograms of MDMA by operatives of the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch in Bengaluru.

The arrest took place last Tuesday at Tarahunase village along Rajanukunte Main Road.

Akinwunmi had just arrived from Delhi carrying a suspicious travel bag, which was later found to contain 5.325 kilograms of MDMA crystals hidden among eleven churidars traditional Indian garments.

Authorities say the suspect acted as a courier and was in the area to deliver the drugs to a group of African peddlers. “She is a courier.

She had come to hand over the drugs to a group of African peddlers. We noticed four men on two scooters in the area, but they did not collect the parcel.

Akinwunmi was arrested while standing with the bag,” a police officer involved in the sting told Indian media.

Akinwunmi told police that she travelled to India with the intention of starting a beauty salon.

However, she is now facing serious charges under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985, as well as the Foreigners Act of 1946.

Under Section 23 of the NDPS Act, individuals caught in possession of a commercial quantity of banned substances face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years, which may extend up to twenty years, along with fines ranging from one lakh to two lakh rupees.

The law applies strictly to cases involving importation, exportation, and transhipment of narcotics.

Legal experts suggest that the quantity of MDMA recovered from Akinwunmi easily qualifies as a commercial quantity under Indian law, making her case eligible for the most severe punishments prescribed. Furthermore, the Foreigners Act permits deportation after prosecution.

The arrest came just 48 hours after another Nigerian national, Emmanuel Bediako—also known as Maxwell—was apprehended by the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau in a separate drug trafficking operation.

Akinwunmi’s case has raised fresh concerns about the increasing number of Nigerians entangled in international drug-related crimes.

It also highlights the stiff penalties foreigners face when caught with banned substances in countries with strict narcotics laws.

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As the investigation continues, legal proceedings will determine her fate. Meanwhile, Nigerian authorities are yet to release an official statement regarding consular support or intervention in the case.