An India crackdown leads to 50 Nigerians arrested as police dismantle a major narco-hawala network across several cities

It was reported on Thursday that a major India crackdown has resulted in the arrest of no fewer than fifty Nigerians in what authorities described as one of the country’s most extensive operations against a transnational narcotics syndicate.

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NDTV said the coordinated raids were led by the Delhi Police with support from the Telangana Police’s EAGLE unit.

Months of intelligence gathering culminated in simultaneous raids across Delhi, enabling officers to dismantle key layers of a cartel distributing methamphetamine and cocaine throughout India.

Investigators found that the network relied on encrypted communication and delivery methods resembling food-delivery platforms, making use of dead-drop exchanges to avoid direct contact with buyers.

Officials disclosed that the drug-distribution chain was closely linked to a sex-trade ring that provided logistical cover for moving shipments across multiple cities.

According to the report, roughly two thousand individuals had received illicit substances through courier systems and concealed drop-off points managed by the cartel.

Police said the crackdown, supported by teams from Noida, Vizag and Gwalior, was the product of long-term surveillance that eventually exposed the cartel’s internal hierarchy.

The arrest of the fifty Nigerian nationals marked what Indian authorities described as a decisive step in disrupting a vast and continually evolving criminal structure.

On the financial side, the syndicate allegedly funnelled drug profits through hawala operators. The proceeds were converted into goods such as garments and human hair, which were exported to Lagos to disguise illicit earnings as legitimate trade.

One suspected kingpin is believed to have laundered at least fifteen crore rupees through these channels alone.

Indian police said the next phase of the investigation will focus on tightening immigration oversight, tracking hawala intermediaries and identifying cartel commanders operating from outside the country.