A 25-year-old Nigerian woman, Ifeoluwa Akinwunmi, has been arrested in India for allegedly carrying drugs valued at over ₦1.8 billion. She faces a possible jail term of up to 20 years if convicted.
Akinwunmi, reportedly a hairstylist and nail artist, was caught by the Anti-Narcotics Wing of the Central Crime Branch in Bengaluru last Tuesday. Police arrested her at Tarahunase village along Rajanukunte Main Road after she arrived from Delhi with a suspicious bag.
According to reports from The New Indian Express and PUNCH Metro, the bag contained 5.325 kilograms of MDMA crystals, a banned party drug, hidden inside 11 new churidars, traditional Indian clothing.
Police said Akinwunmi was acting as a courier, intending to hand over the drugs to a group of African peddlers. However, the suspects who were supposed to collect the package did not show up, leading to her arrest.
She claims she traveled to India to open a beauty salon. Now, she faces charges under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act of 1985 and the Foreigners Act of 1946.
The NDPS Act states that possession of commercial quantities of drugs carries a prison term of at least 10 years and up to 20 years, plus heavy fines. Under the Foreigners Act, foreign nationals involved in crimes can also be prosecuted and deported.
Akinwunmi’s arrest comes just days after another Nigerian, Emmanuel Bediako, was arrested in Telangana, India, for alleged drug trafficking, highlighting ongoing concerns about drug smuggling networks involving Nigerians in India.