The Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGNAB) has cracked open a vast drug trafficking network allegedly run by Nigerian nationals operating out of luxury villas in Goa. The revelations emerged following a month-long surveillance operation conducted with assistance from Goa police.
On June 4, TGNAB intercepted a hawala transaction worth Rs50 lakh, arresting three operatives — Uttam Singh, Raju Singh, and Mahender Prajapathy — before the money could reach international drug cartels. Surveillance at hotspots such as Sangeetha Mobile Shop in Mapusa and Highland Park Apartments played a key role in disrupting the transfer.
The investigation revealed that Nigerians were orchestrating drug distribution from areas like Parra, Calangute, Siolim, and Anjuna, targeting affluent youth in Hyderabad.
Among the arrested is DJ Swadeep alias DJ Swed, who was earlier nabbed along with Balakrishna for sourcing narcotics from Pune-based DJ Vansh Thakkar, known globally as Beyondvoid. Thakkar is currently in Bangkok, but his digital footprint shows involvement in coordinating cocaine sales, including a past transaction with a Hyderabad-based doctor.
In operations conducted between mid-May and June, TGNAB arrested four Nigerian nationals, including Maxwell, who reportedly managed transactions worth Rs30 lakh. Authorities traced 58 drug-related transactions between May 26 and June 3, totaling Rs2.1 crore.
TGNAB officials now have credible evidence of at least 50 Nigerian nationals embedded in Goa’s drug circuit. A special team has been dispatched to Delhi to pursue emerging leads tied to the syndicate’s national and international links.
The crackdown marks a major step in India’s effort to curb cross-border drug networks exploiting digital platforms and high-end lifestyles to evade detection.
