Eagle Sleuths Bust Mumbai-Centered Drug Hawala Racket Linked to Nigeria, 20 Arrested Across Five States

A major drug money laundering racket, with links stretching from India to Nigeria, has been dismantled by Eagle sleuths after a series of coordinated raids across five states. A total of 20 individuals were arrested and nearly Rs 3 crore in cash was seized in the operation targeting a Mumbai-centered hawala network. The arrests and seizures were made in Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa, and Delhi, shining a spotlight once again on the growing nexus between narcotics syndicates and illegal money transfer channels in India.

The investigation began earlier this year when Nigerian national Onyeisi Esomchi Kenneth, alias Maxwell, was arrested in Hyderabad for selling cocaine and ecstasy. A financial probe into Maxwell’s 150 recent transactions revealed that he had earned more than Rs 68 lakh in commissions over the past year alone, funnelling proceeds to family members and a mysterious “boss” in Lagos. This led officers to focus on the broader financial pipeline connecting Hyderabad’s drug scene to international syndicates.

As the money trail unfolded, investigators identified several key players in the hawala operation, including Goa-based operators and proprietors of Mumbai’s Bharat Kumar Chaganlal & Company (BKC & Co). The syndicate collected as much as Rs 25 lakh daily from Nigerian traffickers in Goa, and regularly routed close to Rs 2.1 crore per week through BKC & Co using layered transactions disguised as commodity trades. Notably, the laundered money was often used to buy everyday products—baby frocks, kurtas, T-shirts, human hair, and groceries—which were then shipped as sea cargo to Lagos, effectively exporting the illicit funds out of India under the cover of trade.

The Eagle team, operating in 24 sub-groups, executed a swift arrest of the main suspects—Mamania, company owner Chetan Singh, manager Ronak Prajapati, courier Gagan, and sixteen associates. Nearly Rs 2.85 crore was recovered from the Kalbadevi office of BKC & Co, and another Rs 15 lakh at a mobile phone shop. However, two co-accused, Chagan Lal and Durga Ram, remain at large and are wanted by authorities.

Officials say this case highlights both the sophistication and reach of modern drug-money networks. Using commodity exports and digital channels, organized crime groups are able to transfer enormous sums across borders while avoiding traditional detection. The arrests mark a significant breakthrough, but police caution that tightening the system will require continued vigilance and coordination between agencies to prevent similar rackets from emerging in the future.