In a major crackdown on international drug trafficking, the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in Ahmedabad arrested four individuals, including three Nigerian nationals, for trafficking ketamine concealed in spice packets. The syndicate was reportedly sending drugs from India to foreign countries, including the United States. A total of 2 kilograms of ketamine were seized during the operation.
The bust unfolded on December 3, when the NCB received intelligence that ketamine was being shipped to the United States through a courier agency. The drug was hidden within packets of popular spice brands, intended to evade detection. Following the tip-off, NCB officials launched an investigation that led to the arrest of Adnan Furniturewala, a notorious trafficker with previous links to the U.S. drug trade, and three Nigerians: Emmanuel Ifeni Nwobiora, Akeleme Ahmakula Joseph, and Emmanuel Osaja.
Adnan Furniturewala, who had earlier been deported from the U.S. due to drug-related offenses, had resumed his trafficking activities in India. He was wanted in three previous drug trafficking cases filed against him in the U.S. and was tracked down after several months of investigation spanning Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. The NCB arrested him in Bengaluru on December 8.
Further investigation revealed that the ketamine being trafficked had been supplied to Furniturewala by a Nigerian syndicate operating from Delhi. The syndicate had been using courier services to send drugs overseas, with packets labeled as spices, making it harder to detect during shipment.
On December 18, following a successful lead, the NCB arrested the three Nigerian nationals from Mehrauli, Delhi. These arrests mark a significant breakthrough in dismantling an international drug syndicate operating across borders.
The NCB Ahmedabad has now launched further investigations to track the primary source of ketamine and any other syndicates involved. The authorities are focused on curbing the trafficking of prescription drugs being abused as narcotics in global markets.
Note: All four arrested individuals are currently in NCB custody, and further investigation is underway to trace the origins of the drug supply and any other players involved in the network.