Top News

Hyderabad: The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGNAB) has uncovered a network of Nigerian drug peddlers operating from villas in Goa. The month-long operation, conducted with the support of the local police, involved four teams that conducted extensive surveillance and groundwork to expose the cartel.

On June 4, TGNAB foiled a Rs 50 lakh hawala transaction in Goa and arrested three operatives, including Uttam Singh, Raju Singh, and Mahender Prajapathy.

According to reports, two teams had been monitoring the movement of cash at locations like Sangeetha Mobile Shop in Mapusa and Highland Park apartments. The bureau intercepted the money just in time before it could be transferred to international drug cartels.

Nigerian nationals running drug operations across Goa

The operation revealed that Nigerian nationals had been running drug operations across areas such as Parra, Calangute, Siolim, and Anjuna. The drugs were being supplied to affluent, educated youth in Hyderabad.

One of the key links in the chain was DJ Swadeep alias DJ Swed, who was arrested along with Balakrishna in May for sourcing drugs from Pune-based DJ Vansh Thakkar. Thakkar, who performs internationally under the name Beyondvoid, was previously booked by Raidurg police and TGNAB for selling cocaine to a doctor. He is currently in Bangkok and is known to have used his social media accounts to manage drug distribution networks.

Large scale money laundering exposed

In mid-May and June, TGNAB arrested four Nigerians, including a key player named Maxwell, who handled transactions worth lakhs. The bureau traced 58 transactions between May 26 and June 3, totalling Rs 2.1 crore, with Maxwell alone managing Rs 30 lakh.

The proceeds from drug sales were laundered and sent to families in Nigeria.

TGNAB now has evidence of at least 50 Nigerians involved in drug operations in Goa. The bureau has launched further investigations, with a team en route to Delhi to track additional leads.