2 Nigerian women arrested with MDMA worth Rs 75 cr in Karnataka's largest drug haul

Manguluru Police on Sunday arrested two Nigerian women with over 37 kg of MDMA worth Rs 75 crore from Bengaluru airport, marking Karnataka's largest-ever drug haul.

The accused Bamba Fanta (31) and Abigail Adonis (30) were apprehended after arriving from Delhi with the drugs in their trolley bags. The authorities also seized four mobile phones, passports, and Rs 18,000 in cash. The women, who resided in Delhi, had been smuggling MDMA across India, making several trips to Mumbai and Bengaluru over the past year. Fanta arrived in India in 2020 on a business visa, while Adonis has been living in the country since 2016.  

Addressing a press conference, Mangaluru Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal said that the operation stemmed from an earlier arrest six months ago. In September, police apprehended a man named Haider Ali in Pumpwell, Mangaluru, and confiscated 15 grams of MDMA from him.

Subsequent investigations led authorities to a Nigerian national named Peter, who was arrested in Bengaluru with MDMA worth Rs 6 crore. Further probes pointed to an international drug network with links to traffickers using air routes between Delhi and Bengaluru, the commissioner said. 

Police sources indicate that the arrested individuals were allegedly supplying drugs to Nigerian peddlers operating in Bengaluru and other regions. Additionally, they are suspected of using forged passports and visas for travel. The investigation is ongoing to trace the larger network behind the illicit drug trade, officials said.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the operation of the Mangalore City Police in which the largest quantity of drugs was detected in the history of the state in which two accused have been arrested, was commendable.

"By seizing 37 kg of MDMA worth over 75 crores, our police have averted a major danger that was about to face the lives of thousands of young people," he said in a post on 'X' in Kannada. "Since the first day we came to power, we have been committed to building a drug-free society and have waged a war against drug sales and consumption," he said.