Authorities in India have deported 32 Nigerian nationals implicated in a sprawling transnational drug-trafficking network, following one of the largest coordinated narcotics raids in recent times. The move came barely two weeks after local law-enforcement agencies arrested about 50 suspects in a multi-state operation targeting a foreign-run syndicate operating across major Indian cities.
According to senior officers of the law-enforcement unit dubbed the Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE), all the Nigerians deported were allegedly working under the direction of a fugitive kingpin identified only as “Nick,” who remains wanted in several drug-trafficking cases. Investigators say “Nick” maintained a network comprising hundreds of associates about 100 alone in Delhi supplying narcotics and handling logistics, finances, and distribution across India.
A forensic review of digital devices recovered from the suspects revealed a multi-layered supply chain: encrypted chat communications, payment trails, and delivery contacts, pointing to a client base of over 3,000 individuals nationwide. Authorities reported that in some cases payments were routed through supposedly legitimate businesses including apparel and footwear companies used to launder proceeds. In one instance, a publishing firm was alleged to have transferred nearly ₹20 lakh (Indian rupees) to Nigeria in collaboration with the drug syndicate.
According to the report, out of the 50 Nigerians initially arrested, 32 were deported “on priority” by the Delhi Police in coordination with EAGLE; seven others remain in custody, facing prosecution after narcotics were reportedly recovered on them. The remaining suspects are undergoing documentation and legal clearance; they “may also be deported,” investigators said.
The crackdown underscores a disturbing evolution of drug-trafficking networks involving foreign nationals and transnational coordination. The scale of the network clients in the thousands, layered supply and finance chains, and use of legitimate businesses for money laundering suggests that these are no longer isolated cases, but organised criminal enterprises with global reach.
For Nigeria, the deportation raises urgent questions about transnational criminal networks with links to Nigerian operatives abroad. Domestic agencies like the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have in recent years uncovered and disrupted multiple illicit-drugs operations across Nigeria, seizing large quantities of narcotics, from heroin and cocaine to skunk and meth-precursors.
Experts now warn that unless authorities step up border-control measures, strengthen international cooperation, and disrupt overseas networks, the cycle of export, trafficking, import, and distribution may continue feeding both domestic and foreign markets.
As India expels 32 Nigerians linked to the cartel, the broader question remains unanswered: how many more operatives are on the move globally, and to what extent are networks inside Nigeria intertwined with foreign syndicates?