Drugs worth Rs 12 crore seized, 30 from Africa held as transnational cartel operating in Delhi-NCR, Hyderabad busted

Following days of technical and manual surveillance, multiple teams were formed in coordination with senior officers of Telangana Police.

Raids were carried out in several parts of Delhi-NCR — Mehrauli, Sant Garh, Nilothi, Pratap Enclave, Greater Noida, Munirka and Mohan Garden. At a house in West Delhi’s Mohan Garden, police arrested Zainab Kyobutungi (35), a Ugandan national accused of supplying narcotics in the Telangana case.

Officers recovered 195 grams of cocaine, 24 grams of MDMA and Rs 40,500 from the premises. A case was registered under the NDPS Act at Uttam Nagar police station as well.

In Sant Garh locality of Tilak Nagar, also in West Delhi, a Nigerian national, identified as Bekki (49), was arrested after authorities recovered 5,209 ecstasy pills, 35.46 grams of cocaine and Rs 78,000 in cash.

During questioning, she allegedly revealed that she had recently supplied drugs to another Nigerian national, Frank, living in Chander Vihar.

Police raided his residence and seized 60 MD pills. Frank, who had a prior case under the NDPS and Foreigner Act in Mohan Garden, was arrested.

In another parallel raid, police searched the locked residence of Jean Ahmad, a suspect wanted by the Telangana agency, and recovered over 106 grams of cocaine and 107 grams of heroin. Investigators believe the premises were being used as a storage point for bulk quantities of narcotics.

“The joint team also apprehended several Indian nationals acting as critical enablers in the cartel’s functioning. These individuals were directly wanted in a case by the TGANB for narcotics trafficking and related offences,” said Surender Kumar, Joint Commissioner of Police, Crime Branch.

Badruddin from Greater Noida and Zafar from Mehrauli were accused of managing drug proceeds and arranging payment channels for foreign peddlers. “They helped channel drug proceeds, arrange secure money transfers, and provide financial cover to foreign nationals, jointly managing the cartel’s economic operations and enabling its routine functioning and expansion,” said Joint CP Kumar.

Meanwhile, Badruddin’s wife, Sama Umar, was detained for assisting with logistics and acting as an intermediary. Three others — Titing Guite, S. Joshua Guite and Lal Khosei Selien — were arrested for procuring and supplying SIM cards using proxy credentials, enabling drug distributors to operate anonymously and evade surveillance, said police.

All six Indian suspects wanted by TGANB have been handed over to Telangana Police for further proceeding.

During the operation, authorities also detained 30 African nationals, including 12 women, who were found living in rented accommodations without valid visas or passports.

Of them, 18 have been moved to a deportation facility, while action against the remaining 12 is under process in coordination with the Foreigners Registration Office (FRRO), said police.