A major breakthrough in drug trafficking was achieved on Tuesday when the Telangana Anti Narcotics Bureau (TGANB) arrested Nigerian national Ezeonyili Franklin Uchenna, also known as Kaleshi, after over a year of evading capture.
Kaleshi, a key drug supplier, was apprehended at Ibrahimbagh in Hyderabad following a tip-off that he had arrived from Bengaluru. Upon his arrest, police recovered 17 grams of MDMA, a popular illicit drug, from his possession. Initially, Kaleshi denied having any drugs on him, but a subsequent search revealed the contraband hidden in his pocket. He was reportedly waiting to deliver the drugs to a contact at the time of his arrest.
Further investigation uncovered a pen drive on Kaleshi, which contained crucial evidence linking him to a large-scale drug operation. The drive included photographs, names of 411 individuals, receipts, and details of drug transactions. Authorities discovered that Kaleshi and his associates had conducted drug deals worth Rs 9.50 crore through UPI payments, pointing to a well-established network operating across the country.
Police revealed that Kaleshi had been working for Divine Ebuka Suzee and his girlfriend, Uche Happiness, who are both currently absconding. Kaleshi had been tasked with receiving bulk drug shipments from transporters like Joana Gomes (alias Blessing), who was arrested earlier by Narsingi police. After Blessing’s arrest, Kaleshi fled to Bengaluru and continued his operations, maintaining digital records of transactions in the pen drive.
Kaleshi’s arrest was made possible due to information provided by earlier detainees, Ugwu Ikechukwu and Chukwu Ogbonna, both of whom had been arrested in connection to the drug trade.
Authorities say that Kaleshi has four criminal cases registered against him, including one in Bengaluru, and his arrest is expected to help dismantle a significant part of the drug network operating in India. The investigation continues as police track down his associates and their activities across the region.
