In a high-profile anti-drug operation, the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) arrested Emmanuel Bediako alias Maxwell (34), a Nigerian national, from Sainikpuri, and seized narcotics worth Rs1.25 crore, including 150 grams of high-grade ‘celebrity cocaine’ and 1,100 ecstasy pills.
Officials confirmed that Bediako hails from Enugu state, Nigeria, and is part of a larger international drug syndicate operated by his cousin, Onyeisi Romanus Ikechukwu alias Romey, who is currently absconding. Another associate, Sunny, also remains at large.
Bediako first entered India in 2013 on a medical visa using a fake identity. Though he was supposed to receive treatment in Bengaluru, he moved to Goa, where he joined Romey in drug peddling. Authorities believe Bediako trafficked over Rs2 crore worth of narcotics and earned commissions amounting to Rs40 lakh.
He returned to Nigeria in 2021 but illegally re-entered India twice—once in December 2023 under a false identity and again in January 2025 using a forged Ghanaian passport, skillfully evading immigration authorities.
Following Romey’s instructions, Bediako moved to Hyderabad to expand their drug distribution network, recruit new peddlers, and target untapped consumer markets. He operated from luxury villas in Goa and laundered drug proceeds through Indian hawala agents and other Nigerian collaborators.
TGANB officials said the bust was part of a broader effort to dismantle foreign-led narcotics networks in India. The seized contraband, forged documents, and digital devices are being analyzed to trace financial trails and additional local operatives.
Authorities continue to pursue leads to apprehend Romey and Sunny, and have contacted international enforcement agencies for assistance.
