Emmanuel Afam has been named an accused in a Kerala drug investigation after a 3.312kg MDMA seizure led detectives across five Indian states
A 46-year-old Nigerian national, Emmanuel Afam, has been declared wanted by the Kerala Excise Department in Kozhikode, India, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, after investigators linked him to a 3.312kg MDMA seizure that has grown into a wider interstate drug investigation. (UniIndia)
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The Kerala Excise Department said a Look Out Circular had been issued against Afam, who remains at large, while a Vadakara NDPS court has issued an arrest warrant against him. The department has named him as the eighth accused in the case. (Punch Newspapers)
The case began on April 23, 2026, when Kerala Excise officers intercepted a car near the Pantheerankavu toll plaza in Kozhikode and discovered 3.312kg of MDMA and 56 grams of narcotic tablets concealed inside a specially made compartment in the vehicle’s bonnet. The drugs were estimated at about ₹3.5 crore in value. (Kerala Kaumudi)
Two people, P.K. Shafeeq, 36, and 20-year-old social media influencer Fathima Nasreen, were initially arrested. Investigators later discovered that the seizure was only the beginning of a far more extensive operation.
According to NDTV, an 11-member investigation team subsequently travelled about 15,000 kilometres across five states, examining thousands of phone calls, mobile devices, tower locations, bank accounts and social media accounts as detectives attempted to establish the wider network behind the shipment. (NDTV)
The investigation eventually took officers to Jaipur, where a search of a suspect’s flat reportedly produced further MDMA and other evidence. During questioning, a suspect identified as Hiran allegedly told investigators that his supplier was a Nigerian man whom he had met while both were lodged at Bengaluru’s Parappana Agrahara Central Prison in connection with separate NDPS cases.
Hiran reportedly knew the man only as “Frank Maxin”. Investigators then took Hiran to the Bengaluru prison and showed him photographs of Nigerian nationals who had been held there during the relevant period. He identified one of them.
Further investigation established the man’s identity as Afam, according to the Kerala Excise Department. (NDTV)
The investigators allege that Afam used about 19 Indian and Nigerian mobile numbers and relied on phones without SIM cards, Wi-Fi connections and applications capable of scrambling IP addresses.
His travel history was also obtained through India’s Foreigners Regional Registration Office. (NDTV)
The Kerala Excise Department said the investigation had been intensified.
“The special investigation into the seizure of 3.3 kg of MDMA near the Pantheerankavu toll plaza in Kozhikode has been intensified,” the department said. (Punch Newspapers)
The case has also exposed the elaborate methods investigators say were used by members of the suspected network.
NDTV reported that the car used in the original shipment had a specially fabricated hidden compartment, while investigators encountered suspects allegedly using foreign WhatsApp numbers, borrowed Wi-Fi connections and other measures intended to frustrate electronic tracking. (NDTV)
In one striking part of the investigation, officers reportedly travelled to Siliguri near the Nepal border while posing as tourists as they searched for suspects.
Elsewhere, female investigators allegedly adopted the identities of Tamil Nadu government officials offering financial assistance to divorced women in order to locate another suspect. (NDTV)
By August 20, NDTV reported that the investigation had involved approximately 8,000 phone calls, more than 50 mobile phones, 160 tower locations, over 30 bank accounts and nearly 100 social media accounts. Investigators also checked 10 toll plazas and raided five lodges and eight houses. (NDTV)
The original seizure was reported locally at the time as one of Kerala’s significant synthetic drug interceptions.
Kerala Excise officials said the consignment had been brought from Rajasthan, with investigators subsequently pursuing suspected suppliers and distributors beyond the state. (Kerala Kaumudi)
The latest development comes as Kerala intensifies its wider crackdown on narcotics during the Onam season.
The department said its special enforcement drive, which began on August 1 and runs through August 31, had recorded 8,241 cases and 36,633 arrests by August 26 for offences involving liquor, narcotic drugs and banned tobacco products. (UniIndia)
Afam’s case also comes amid increased scrutiny of alleged drug networks involving Nigerian nationals in India.
On August 18, India’s Narcotics Control Bureau said coordinated operations with state police had led to the arrest of four Nigerian nationals and the seizure of narcotics valued at about ₹15 crore, including amphetamine, pseudoephedrine, cocaine and heroin. (Akashvani News)
The NCB said the operations formed part of an investigation into a transnational network involving foreign nationals who were allegedly overstaying in India.
The agency also announced plans for a nationwide fortnight-long campaign, known as “Trinetra”, in September to identify illegally overstaying foreign nationals suspected of involvement in drug trafficking. (Akashvani News)
For now, Afam remains at large.
The Look Out Circular gives immigration authorities a mechanism to alert them if he attempts to enter or leave India, while the arrest warrant allows investigators to pursue his apprehension as the Kerala investigation continues.
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The allegations against Afam remain subject to the ongoing investigation and judicial process. No conviction has been reported against him in connection with the Kozhikode seizure.
Mariam Balogun is a contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
