Nigerian, Two Locals Held in Rs 30 Lakh Drug Bust in Hyderabad’s Manikonda

Hyderabad: Three individuals, including a Nigerian national and two local residents, were arrested for allegedly running an international drug racket from a flat in a high-end residential complex in Hyderabad. The arrests were made by the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) in coordination with the Narsingi Police.

Acting on specific intelligence about a Goa-Hyderabad drug supply network, the police raided a flat at Anuhar Coral Bells in Alkapur Township, Manikonda, where a drug transaction was reportedly underway. During the search, officials seized 107 grams of cocaine and 25 grams of ecstasy pills. The estimated market value of the seized drugs is around Rs 30 lakh. Six mobile phones used in coordinating the drug deals were also confiscated.

The arrested Nigerian national has been identified as Chukwumeka Wisdom Onyeka, also known by the aliases Victor Chukwu and Divine Chukwu Emeka. Aged 22, he hails from Imo State, Nigeria, and had been residing in Goa. Onyeka was enrolled in a BSc (IT) course at Gokul Global University in Gujarat. Police said he was previously arrested in 2023 in a similar narcotics case and is suspected of using multiple fake passports and student visas to move within the country.

The other two arrested are Gopishetty Rajesh (40), a wedding planner, and Bommadevara Veera Raju (32), a real estate and car dealer originally from Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. Both were residents of the same complex in Manikonda. Rajesh was earlier booked in a drug-related case by Raidurgam Police in 2023. Veera Raju has also been named in multiple narcotics cases in the past.

Investigators revealed that the drug network is allegedly being controlled by a Nigerian national operating under aliases such as Max, Princewel, Buchi, and Gabriel. He is believed to manage the supply chain from abroad, using African nationals in India—often under the cover of student visas—to distribute drugs across major cities.

Rajesh and Veera Raju, once consumers themselves, reportedly developed connections in Hyderabad’s upper circles and gradually became active peddlers. Frequent visits to Goa helped them build contacts with key suppliers and expand their operations in the city.

Police are continuing the investigation to trace the larger network and identify other individuals linked to the syndicate.