Three Nigerian Nationals Linked to International Drug Syndicate Produced in Kerala Court After Major Kozhikode Bust

The seized drugs were valued at over $114,000 in the market

Three Nigerian nationals accused of masterminding a cross-border synthetic drug racket were brought to Kozhikode under tight security and produced before the Vadakara court on Monday. Their arrest followed a major breakthrough investigation by Kozhikode Town Police, which uncovered clandestine drug “kitchens” in Gurugram, Haryana, supplying chemical narcotics to South Indian states, including Kerala.

The case began with the arrest of K. Siraj, 31, a native of Pudukkottu, Malappuram, on February 16, 2025. Based on confidential intelligence, Kozhikode Town Police led by SI Muralidharan and the DANSAF team seized 778 grams of MDMA from Siraj near the railway station.

Analysis of Siraj’s bank accounts and mobile phone, with assistance from the Cyber Cell, revealed that he had purchased drugs from Nigerian suppliers. Money transfers from his account were traced to two Nigerian nationals, with withdrawals linked to Delhi and Haryana.

Investigators identified three key figures — Ugochukwu John alias David, Henry Onuchukwu, and Okoli Romanus — as central operatives in the trafficking network. Their locations were traced to Gurugram, prompting Kozhikode Police to coordinate with Haryana Police for a raid.

During the raid, authorities arrested eight suspects — six Nigerians, one Nepali, and one native of Mizoram. Seized contraband included 1.60 kg of sulfa, 904 g of cocaine, 2.34 kg of raw cocaine, along with 42 mobile phones, three electronic weighing scales, packing materials, and ₹7,500 in cash. The drugs were estimated to be worth over ₹1 crore on the market. Most significantly, police uncovered for the first time hidden synthetic drug “kitchens” inside an industrial estate in Gurugram.

Police confirmed that except for Okoli Romanus, none of the arrested foreign nationals possessed valid visas or documentation to stay in India. Investigations further revealed that the group used the dark web for drug transactions and were involved in similar cases in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.

The three Nigerians directly linked to the Kozhikode MDMA seizure — Ugochukwu, Henry, and Okoli — were taken into custody by a Town Police team led by Inspector Jitesh, brought to Kerala, and produced in court on Monday.

The investigation also detailed Siraj’s trafficking methods. He allegedly collected MDMA from Henry in Delhi, transported it to Goa by train, and hid the consignment inside AC coach bathrooms. He would then fly to Goa, intercept the train mid-route, retrieve the stash, and smuggle it to Kozhikode.

Special task forces deployed by Kozhikode Police — one in Delhi and Haryana, another in Himachal Pradesh — played a crucial role in dismantling the network. The core investigative team included Sub-Inspectors Saji Shinob and Mohammed Shabeer, SCPO Deepu, and CPOs Ragesh, Sugesh, Raghuraj, Ranjith, and Vipin.

Officials hailed the operation as a landmark victory against international narcotics trafficking. “For years, we suspected production centres, but this is the first time a drug ‘kitchen’ has been traced and dismantled. It’s a big win against synthetic drug smuggling into Kerala and South India,” a senior officer stated.