Banned substances worth Rs 1 crore seized from international drug peddlers

HYDERABAD: In a major operation conducted jointly by the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TS-NAB), Hyderabad Narcotics Enforcement Wing (H-NEW) and Banjara Hills Police, three international drug peddlers and one local peddler were arrested for their involvement in the trafficking of narcotics. The accused were found in possession of 100 grams of cocaine, 300 grams of MDMA, and five cell phones, collectively valued at ₹1 crore.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Agbowo Maxwell Nnabuisi, also known as Kweku Essuman Kwame, a 37-year-old resident of Bengaluru and native of Nigeria; Okeke Chigozie Blessing, a 32-year-old drug peddler from Tirupur, Tamil Nadu, and also a Nigerian national; Ikem Austin Obaka, alias Kingsley or John, a 41-year-old drug peddler from Bengaluru and originally from Nigeria; P Sai Akesh, a 25-year-old local peddler from Hyderabad; M Sanjay Sunil Kumar, a 27-year-old resident of Thrissur, Kerala; and Tumma Bhanu Teja Reddy, a 23-year-old resident of Manikonda. One individual identified as Mazee, a resident of Benglauru and native of Nigeria, is currently absconding.

During the investigation, authorities discovered that Agbowo Maxwell Nnabuisi had arrived in Mumbai on a medical visa in 2011 before relocating to Bengaluru. Okeke Chigozie Blessing had entered Mumbai on a business visa in 2012, eventually settling in Bengaluru in 2022. Ikem Austin Obaka arrived in India on a student visa in 2021 and took a residence in Bengaluru.

The modus operandi of the accused involved Agbowo Maxwell Nnabuisi initially operating a drug peddling business in Mumbai. However, due to increased police scrutiny, he shifted his operations to Bengaluru under the alias Kweku Essuman Kwame, creating a fake Nigerian passport and visa to assume a new identity. Agbowo Maxwell Nnabuisi and Mazee, his associate, opened a bank account under the name of Evelyn Yerenkyiwaa, a Nigerian national, in a nationalised bank.

Agbowo Maxwell Nnabuisi and Mazee then recruited the remaining accused individuals, offering them assistance in the drug peddling business on a commission basis. They primarily targeted young college and university students, particularly in and around Bengaluru, and also catered to customers in Mumbai, Hyderabad, and other regions. The accused used virtual phone numbers to evade detection by law enforcement agencies and ensure seamless operations.

The investigation is ongoing to identify the drug consumers who have been purchasing narcotics from the arrested individuals. Earlier, M. Sanjay Sunil Kumar and Tumma Bhanu Teja Reddy were arrested in connection with a separate case and provided crucial information that led to the seizure of the cocaine, MDMA, and cell phones. The accused have been booked under various sections of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. They are being produced in court.