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Mangaluru police bust biggest-ever drug haul in state worth ₹75 crore, arrest 2 South-African nationals
The Mangaluru Police seized more than 37 kg of MDMA valued at ₹75 crore, during an operation to expose an international drug trade
Mangaluru Police seized over 37 kg of MDMA valued at ₹75 crore, the biggest-ever drug haul in the state, a police official said on Sunday.
Two South African nationals were arrested in Bengaluru in connection with this case, the official said.
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Addressing a press conference, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal stated that the operation stemmed from an earlier arrest six months ago. In September, police apprehended one Haider Ali in Pumpwell, Mangaluru, and confiscated 15 grams of MDMA from him. Subsequent investigations led authorities to a Nigerian national named Peter, who was arrested in Bengaluru with MDMA worth ₹6 crore.
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Further probes pointed to an international drug network with links to traffickers using air routes between Delhi and Bengaluru, he said.
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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.
