KOZHIKODE: Three Nigerian nationals, masterminds behind a cross-border synthetic drug racket, were brought to Kozhikode under heavy security and produced before the Vadakara court on Monday. Their arrest follows a breakthrough investigation by Kozhikode Town Police, which uncovered drug “kitchens” operating in Gurugram, Haryana, that were supplying chemical drugs to South Indian states, including Kerala.
The operations of the racket came to light after the arrest of K Siraj, 31, a native of Pudukkottu, Malappuram, on February 16, 2025. Acting on confidential information, Kozhikode Town Police, led by SI Muralidharan and the DANSAF team, seized 778g of MDMA from Siraj near the railway station.
Scientific analysis of his bank accounts and mobile phone, conducted with the help of the Cyber Cell, revealed that Siraj had purchased drugs from a Nigerian supplier.
The probe also showed money transfers from Siraj’s account to those of two Nigerian nationals, with withdrawals traced to Delhi and Haryana.
Investigators identified three key Nigerian nationals – Ugochukwu John alias David, Henry Onuchukwu, and Okoli Romanus – as central figures in the network. Their locations were traced to Gurugram, and the information was shared with Haryana Police.
A raid followed, in which eight people were arrested: six Nigerians, one Nepali, and a Mizoram native. Police seized 1.60kg of sulfa, 904g of cocaine, 2.34kg of raw cocaine, 42 mobile phones, three electronic scales, packing materials, and Rs 7,500 in cash. The seized drugs were valued at over Rs 1 crore in the market. Crucially, the raid also uncovered for the first time clandestine “drug kitchens” inside an industrial estate in Gurugram.
According to police, except for Okoli Romanus, none of the foreign nationals arrested had valid visas or documents to stay in India.
Investigators found that the group used the dark web for drug transactions and were involved in similar cases in Delhi and Himachal Pradesh.
Meanwhile, Kozhikode police confirmed that the three Nigerians directly linked to the Kozhikode MDMA seizure - Ugochukwu, Henry, and Okoli - were taken into custody by the Town Police team led by Inspector Jitesh. The accused were taken to Kerala and produced in Vadakara court on Monday.
The investigation also revealed how Siraj operated a sophisticated trafficking network. He collected MDMA from Henry in Delhi, smuggled it to Goa by train, and concealed it inside AC coach bathrooms. He would then fly to Goa, board the train en route, retrieve the hidden stash, and carry it to Kozhikode.
The Town Police’s special teams - one in Delhi and Haryana, another in Himachal Pradesh - were instrumental in cracking the case. The core team included Sub-Inspectors Saji Shinob and Mohammed Shabeer, SCPO Deepu, and CPOs Ragesh, Sugesh, Raghuraj, Ranjith, and Vipin.
Police officials described the bust as a major breakthrough in dismantling an international drug syndicate operating across India.
“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 said.