HYDERABAD, India — Authorities in India have arrested a 34-year-old Nigerian national, Emmanuel Bediako, also known as “Maxwell,” for his alleged involvement in a sprawling drug trafficking network linked to a West African cartel, officials said Wednesday.
The arrest was made by operatives of the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau on Sunday in the Sainikpuri area of Hyderabad. Bediako is accused of distributing high-purity cocaine and ecstasy pills across multiple Indian cities for more than a decade. Police say he confessed to earning more than ₹1.17 crore (approximately $145,000) in commissions from drug sales.
According to Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau Director Sandeep Shandilya, the suspect played a key role in a transnational cartel allegedly led by a figure known as Romey, believed to be operating from Nigeria. Bediako reportedly entered India on three separate occasions since 2013 using forged documents and fake identities, initially arriving under a medical visa but never seeking treatment.
“He had been operating primarily from Goa before relocating to Hyderabad to expand the cartel’s operations,” Shandilya said during a press briefing.
During the raid at a friend’s residence in Sainikpuri, authorities recovered 150 grams of cocaine branded as “celebrity cocaine” on the underground market, along with 1,100 ecstasy pills, two mobile phones, and data believed to be linked to prior narcotics transactions. Investigators said the seized drugs were sold at ₹25,000 per gram for cocaine and ₹6,000 per ecstasy pill.
Shandilya described the operation as part of a larger criminal enterprise involving money laundering and fraudulent immigration activity. Data extracted from the suspect’s devices showed over 150 bank transfers linked to Nigerian institutions including GT Bank, Zenith Bank, and Moniepoint MFB. Many of these transfers allegedly tied back to Romey, his wife Ugwu Promise Nnenna, and other close associates.
Officials revealed Bediako frequently used burner phones and changed locations to evade detection. Before moving to Hyderabad, he operated out of a luxury villa in Goa but was reportedly forced to relocate due to intensified police surveillance.
“This is not just a case of small-scale drug peddling,” Shandilya said. “It’s part of a highly organized, international drug syndicate targeting Indian youth and exploiting legal loopholes.”
A Red Corner Notice through Interpol is expected to be issued for Romey and several other absconding Nigerian nationals believed to be part of the cartel. The Telangana government has since issued public advisories to landlords in areas such as Banjara Hills, Tolichowki, Brundavan Colony, Paramount Colony, and Sainikpuri to report foreign tenants lacking proper documentation.
Bediako’s arrest comes amid a broader crackdown across India on West African drug syndicates. Just days earlier, four other Nigerian nationals — including two women — were arrested in separate incidents for drug-related offenses, according to police.
