A Nigerian national, Emmanuel Bediako, also known as Maxwell, has been arrested by the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau in India for alleged drug trafficking activities.
FCNN learnt the 34-year-old suspect was apprehended on Sunday in the Sainikpuri area of Hyderabad. Maxwell reportedly admitted to earning over ₹1.17 crore (approximately $145,636) in commissions after trafficking drugs worth several crores over more than ten years in India.
As reported by The Hindu, authorities seized 150 grams of high-purity cocaine—often referred to in illicit markets as “celebrity cocaine”—and 1,100 ecstasy pills from Maxwell during the arrest.
Sandeep Shandilya, Director of the Telangana Anti-Narcotics Bureau, described Maxwell as a significant figure in a larger West African drug syndicate operating throughout India.
“He entered the country under false identities and with forged passports. Initially operating from Goa, he later shifted to Hyderabad to broaden the cartel’s operations,” Shandilya said.
Maxwell reportedly entered India on three occasions since 2013, initially on a medical visa obtained under false pretenses.
He never visited the hospital listed in his documentation but instead joined his cousin Romey—believed to be the cartel leader—in Goa.
Romey, said to be operating from Nigeria, allegedly runs the drug network remotely, with Maxwell and others acting as key ground operatives for distribution and logistics across India.
Authorities revealed that Maxwell used burner phones, frequently changed locations to avoid detection, and laundered proceeds through Nigerian bank accounts and Indian hawala networks. After saturating the Goa market, he was instructed by the cartel to move operations to Hyderabad due to increasing demand.
Maxwell arrived in Hyderabad in early 2025 and began building a local supply chain. He was eventually arrested at a friend’s home in Sainikpuri, where police recovered drugs, two phones with transaction records, and images of previous consignments.
Investigations show that Maxwell sold cocaine at ₹25,000 per gram and ecstasy pills at ₹6,000 each.
Forensic analysis of his devices uncovered more than 150 financial transactions linked to Nigerian banks such as GT Bank, Zenith Bank, and Moniepoint MFB, allegedly involving Romey, his wife Ugwu Promise Nnenna, and his brother-in-law.
Authorities noted that Maxwell previously operated out of a luxury villa in Goa but fled due to intensified police scrutiny.
“This is not just about drug dealing. It’s an extensive transnational operation involving multiple countries, forged documents, money laundering, and the deliberate targeting of Indian youth,” Shandilya emphasized.
A Red Corner Notice may soon be issued for Romey and other Nigerian nationals implicated in the network who remain at large.
In response, Indian authorities have issued advisories to landlords in neighborhoods like Paramount Colony, Brundavan Colony, Sainikpuri, Tolichowki, and Banjara Hills, urging them to report any foreign nationals staying in rented properties.
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Maxwell’s arrest follows a series of similar drug-related arrests across India involving four other Nigerian nationals, including two women, in recent days.
