Following the arrest of two South African women caught with 37.8 kg of MDMA valued at over Rs 75 crore, Mangaluru city police have escalated their investigation. A police team has already reached New Delhi as part of the ongoing probe. Authorities are now examining CCTV footage to understand how the two trolley bags, containing the massive haul of drugs, managed to pass through airport security without raising alarms. This raises concerns about potential lapses in screening, considering the large volume of contraband.
“The team will conduct a thorough analysis of digital evidence, scrutinize documents, and trace their movements,” said Mangaluru Commissioner of Police Anupam Agrawal. “The MDMA was not hidden in clothing or secret compartments but was packed in various-sized packets within the trolley bags. This raises questions about how these bags were not flagged during security checks,” he added. “Based on our findings, further action will follow.”
Initial investigations reveal that the arrested women, Bamba Fanta and Abigail Adonis, had traveled to Bengaluru 37 times and to Mumbai 22 times, suggesting that the recent seizure may be only a small part of a much larger operation. Authorities suspect they are linked to an extensive international drug network operating across major Indian cities.
Sources state that Bamba and Abigail were supplying MDMA to Nigerian nationals in Bengaluru, who then distributed it to local peddlers, including those in Mangaluru. Investigators believe that over the last 18 months, multiple drug seizures have been connected to this Bengaluru-based supply chain. A deeper look into the local drug scene in Mangaluru, Kasargod, and surrounding regions has revealed about 800 active drug peddlers, with most having direct ties to suppliers in Bengaluru.
The arrested women, currently in judicial custody, were produced before the court and remanded in police custody for seven more days for further questioning.
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