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In one of Karnataka’s biggest-ever drug hauls, two Nigerian women were arrested with 37 kg of MDMA, valued at ₹75 crore, at Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport. The duo, identified as Bamba Fanta (31) and Abigail Adonis (30), was apprehended while attempting to transport the high-value narcotic in their trolley bags, the police said on Sunday.
The arrests were the result of an extensive investigation by the Mangaluru Central Crime Branch (CCB), which traced their involvement in a drug trafficking network spanning multiple cities, including Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai.
Drug Cartel Unraveled: 59 Trips to Mumbai, Bengaluru
According to Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal, the two women had been residing in India for several years and were deeply involved in drug smuggling operations. Fanta, who arrived in India on a business visa in 2020, and Adonis, who had been living in the country since 2016, had allegedly been smuggling MDMA for the past 1-2 years.
Their frequent travel patterns raised suspicion, with records showing 37 trips to Mumbai and 22 to Bengaluru in just the past year, using air routes to transport the narcotics.
Along with the 37 kg of MDMA, authorities seized four mobile phones, passports, and ₹18,000 in cash from their possession.
The massive bust was linked to a case that began six months ago when police arrested Haider Ali in Mangaluru with 15 grams of MDMA.
Further investigation led to the arrest of a Nigerian national, Peter, in Bengaluru with 6 kg of MDMA, valued at ₹6 crore.
These arrests revealed an international drug cartel operating in India, with traffickers using air routes to transport drugs between Delhi, Bengaluru, and Mumbai. Acting on intelligence, police tracked the movements of the accused and arrested them upon their arrival in Bengaluru on March 14.
Police sources suggest that the arrested duo was supplying drugs to Nigerian peddlers operating in Bengaluru and other regions. Authorities suspect the cartel has a wider network with links to international traffickers.
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