Karnataka’s biggest drug haul: Mangaluru police seize 37 kg MDMA worth ₹75 crore, arrest 2 South Africans

Mangaluru police bust biggest-ever drug cartel in state, arrest two South African nationals

Mangaluru Police have made Karnataka’s largest-ever drug bust, seizing over 37 kg of MDMA worth ₹75 crore and arresting two South African nationals in Bengaluru, officials said on Sunday.

(Representational image)

During a press briefing, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal revealed that the breakthrough stemmed from an arrest made six months ago, news agency PTI reported.

In September, police nabbed Haider Ali in Pumpwell, Mangaluru, and recovered 15 grams of MDMA from him.

Further investigations led them to a Nigerian national, Peter, who was caught in Bengaluru with MDMA valued at ₹6 crore, the report added.

Expanding their probe, police uncovered links to an international drug syndicate, which was reportedly using air routes between Delhi and Bengaluru to smuggle narcotics. The investigation ultimately led to the arrest of two South African nationals in Bengaluru, exposing a deeper network of drug trafficking, authorities said.

Acting on intelligence, the Mangaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB) police arrested two South African nationals -- Bamba Fant (31) and Abigail Adonis (30)-- upon their arrival in Bengaluru on March 14. The suspects were taken into custody in Neeladri Nagar, Electronic City in Bengaluru, the senior police officer said.

Authorities discovered MDMA concealed in their trolley bags, alongside four mobile phones, passports, and ₹18,000 in cash.

Police sources indicate that the arrested individuals were allegedly supplying drugs to Nigerian peddlers operating in Bengaluru and other regions. Additionally, they are suspected of using forged passports and visas for travel.

The investigation is ongoing to trace the larger network behind the illicit drug trade, officials said, according to the agency.