A Nigerian national has been arrested in Bengaluru, India, over his alleged involvement in a large-scale drug trafficking operation, with authorities uncovering narcotics valued at over N360 million.
The suspect, identified as Samuel Ikkena, 44, was apprehended by police in the Yelahanka area of Karnataka State as part of an intensified crackdown on drug distribution networks targeting students and residents across the city.
According to a report by The Indian Express, Ikkena allegedly operated the illicit trade under the cover of a clothing business, using it as a front to distribute MDMA, commonly known as ecstasy—a psychoactive substance widely abused for recreational purposes.
Investigations revealed that the suspect sourced MDMA crystals from the Bannerghatta area for about Rs 50,000 (approximately N3.5 million) and resold them at significantly higher prices through an organised network.
Ikkena, who reportedly arrived in India in 2012 on a business visa, initially engaged in garment trading in Delhi and Mumbai before relocating to Bengaluru in 2025.
During the operation, law enforcement agents recovered 2 kilograms of MDMA crystals valued at about Rs 2 crore (N140 million), alongside 31.396 kilograms of cannabis, 220 grams of hydroponic cannabis, additional quantities of heroin, and a motorcycle allegedly used for drug distribution.
Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh disclosed that the total seized contraband was estimated at Rs 2.57 crore (N180 million), with a potential street value of Rs 5.14 crore (over N360 million).
The arrest forms part of a broader anti-narcotics operation that led to the apprehension of 11 suspects, including two foreign nationals and eight locals, across multiple areas in Bengaluru such as Yelahanka, Adugodi, Bharathinagar, Jalahalli, and Pulakeshinagar.
In a related development, police in Adugodi arrested Baljit Singh from Uttar Pradesh and Arjun Joshi, a Nepalese national, for allegedly supplying heroin within the city. Authorities recovered 162 grams of heroin valued at Rs 55 lakh (N3.85 million), along with three mobile phones from the suspects.
Investigators said the accused sourced drugs from both foreign and interstate suppliers before distributing them at inflated prices.
Cases have been filed under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, while efforts continue to track down the key figures behind the wider network.
