The Indian government has intensified its crackdown on a cross-border trafficking network, deporting 32 Nigerian nationals alleged to be linked to a cartel-backed drug syndicate following an extensive investigation.
Further details emerged after a series of coordinated narcotics operations that led to nearly 50 arrests, with officials tracing the organisation’s command structure to a Nigeria-based figure known to investigators only as “Nick.”
The network, according to senior officers of the Elite Anti-Narcotics Group for Law Enforcement (EAGLE), relied on a tiered system of foreign operatives embedded across Indian cities, with Delhi serving as a central distribution point for meth, heroin and other substances.
Officials said initial findings suggested a far wider reach than previously documented, with thousands of customers identified through digital trails and recovery of encrypted communication logs.
Indian officials disclosed information on the crackdown during a follow-up briefing drawn from Times of India reports on Wednesday, which stated that the multi-state raids were conducted less than two weeks earlier across major urban centres.
The EAGLE unit, working with the Delhi Police, confirmed that “less than 10 days after the joint operation resulted in the arrest of 50 Nigerians involved in drug peddling, 32 have now been deported.”
Investigation records reviewed by officers indicated the fugitive coordinator, “Nick”, maintained more than 100 associates in Delhi, enabling a supply line that was allegedly supported by laundering routes hidden inside businesses posing as regular commercial operations.
Officials said forensic checks on phones and laptops uncovered a client network exceeding 3,000 individuals, linked together through payment channels, addresses and communication histories.
Authorities told the Times of India that some traffickers used shell companies to disguise proceeds, including an instance in which a publishing entity reportedly transferred ₹20 lakh to Nigeria while appearing to run normal operations.
Additional laundering, they said, involved partnerships with traders in footwear and apparel who offered cover for irregular financial movements.
Police confirmed that seven suspects remain in custody after narcotics were recovered from them during the raid, while clearance reviews are underway for remaining detainees who may face deportation once documentation processes conclude.
Officials noted that the priority removals were carried out to halt the organisation’s reconstitution efforts and prevent further expansion of the suspected cartel-linked network.
