Telangana anti-drug wing nab Nigerian drug hawala kingpin

Illegally earned money used by Nigerian syndicates to export fabrics, clothes, human hair & other goods back to their home country

Hyderabad: In a major breakthrough, Telangana’s Elite Action Group for Drug Law Enforcement (EAGLE) has tracked down one of the key masterminds behind a sophisticated drug money laundering network. The accused, Dargaram Rataji Prajapati, was apprehended in Mumbai after weeks of intensive surveillance.

Investigations revealed that Dargaram had been running multiple firms as fronts to channel the proceeds of Nigerian drug cartels through hawala networks.

His agents were reportedly collecting hawala funds linked to drug operations, primarily from Nigerian nationals, and transferring them to Nigeria. The illegally earned money was then used by the Nigerian syndicates to export fabrics, clothes, human hair, and other goods back to their home country.

EAGLE officers found  that once the drug money was collected, Dargaram’s associates co-ordinated cash pickups and arranged deliveries to Nigerian cargo offices located in Pydhonie and Mandvi in Mumbai. Over the past few days alone, EAGLE teams have arrested 25 individuals connected to the hawala-drug racket and seized cash totaling Rs 3.084 crore.

This latest arrest follows a series of operations across India in Mumbai, Delhi, Rajasthan, and Goaafter the apprehension of foreign national Onyeisi Esomchi Kenneth alias Maxwell alias Emmanuel Bediako few months ago.

Earlier, during a raid on M/s Bharath Kumar Chaganlal & Company at Phool Gully, Kalbadevi, Mumbai, Dargaram had managed to flee and go underground. The firm was allegedly being used to channel drug proceeds of Nigerian cartels through hawala routes.

Acting on credible intelligence, EAGLE teams seized Rs 3 crore of drug-linked cash from the location. To evade arrest, Dargaram changed his hideouts frequently and deleted all contact details and WhatsApp chats related to his illegal transactions.

Following sustained surveillance, the EAGLE sleuths successfully tracked and arrested the kingpin. During interrogation, Dargaram corroborated details revealed earlier by his associates Chetan Singh, Ronak Prajapati (Manager), and Chetan Mavji, who regularly collected and delivered cash to members of the Nigerian cartel.

He further disclosed that the network operated hawala offices at multiple locations besides Mumbai Javeri Chambers, Ratnapur in Ahmedabad managed by Devji and Dilip. Bharath Kumar Chaganlal & Company, Chandni Chowk in New Delhi managed by another associate Mukesh.

“Their agents Uttam Singh alias Jaswant, Kheema Ram alias Raju alias Rajlaxmi of Goa, and Chetan Mavji of Mumbai collected drug-related hawala money, primarily from Nigerian nationals. The money was then transferred to Nigeria by Chetan Mavji under the direction of Sunny Pascal, an absconding Nigerian accused. After each collection, Uttam Singh would inform Chetan Singh, who coordinated with Bharath Kumar Chaganlal & Co to arrange the transfer of cash to Nigerian cargo offices at Pydhonie and Mandvi in Mumbai,” said a senior EAGLE official.

EAGLE teams have raised serious concerns over how deported foreign nationals are managing to re-enter India using fake identities and passports. One of the accused Onyeisi Esomchi Kenneth had allegedly used five passports four from Nigeria and one from Ghana to continue his drug trade in India.

The EAGLE sleuths have urged public cooperation in combating the growing narcotics menace and preventing foreign drug cartels from exploiting local networks. They advised house owners to exercise caution while renting their premises to foreign nationals, particularly those from African countries. They should verify identities and immediately report any suspicious activities to local police.