Hyderabad: Eight including three Nigerians arrested, drugs worth over Rs 1 cr seized

The three Nigerians are purchasing drugs from suppliers known to them and selling them in Hyderabad and Bengaluru

Hyderabad: Eight persons including three Nigerians were arrested by the Telangana State Anti Narcotics Bureau (TSNAB) along with Gudimalkapur police for allegedly possessing drugs on Thursday. Cocaine, Ecstasy pills and MDMA, worth over Rs. 1 crore, were seized from them.

The arrested persons are Amobi Chukwudi Muonagolu (29), Igbawre Micheal (32), Thomas Anagha Kalu (49), natives of Nigeria and staying in Bengaluru, and D Suresh Rao, Koli Ramchand, K Sandeep, A Sushanth Reddy and Pagal Srikar Krishna Praneeth.

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Amobi came to India in May 2020 and became a member of the local football club in Bengaluru. After coming in contact with other Nigerians and local people he started selling them drugs.

“The three Nigerians are purchasing drugs from suppliers known to them and selling them in Hyderabad and Bengaluru. Recently, Balaji who was arrested by the TSNAB at Gudimalkapur also went to Bengaluru and purchased the drugs from Amobi and others and brought them to the city,” said TSNAB Director, CV Anand.

The other five persons Suresh, Ramchand, Sandeep, Sushanth and Srikar Krishna were also buying the drugs from the Nigerians and Balaji regularly and consuming, he added. The Nigerian national was contacting the customers through WhatsApp numbers beginning with ‘+234’ and luring them to purchase drugs.

Amobi, is also a member of All India Nigerian Students and Community Association Bengaluru and collecting funds to allegedly meet the expenditure for deportation, bail and other legal services to be extended to Nigerians who are caught violating the laws. Balaji was organizing parties and supplying drugs to some film personalities and after getting evidence action will be initiated against them. Also, film producer Venkataratna’s bank account having a deposit of Rs. 5.5 crores was freezed. “We will invoke SAFEMA Act and seize properties acquired through the ill-gotten money,” he said.

Anand said eight more persons including businessmen and film producers who are selling drugs are absconding and special teams are formed to nab them.