Bengaluru Drug Bust: Two South Africans Arrested with MDMA Worth ₹275 Crore

In a huge crackdown on drug smuggling, Mangalore Police detained two South African nationals in Bengaluru for smuggling MDMA, popularly referred to as ecstasy or molly. The operation saw 37.870 kg of the drug seized, valued at Rs 275 crore.

Who are the detained suspects?

The detained individuals have been named as:

Bamba Fanta (31) – from Agbowelle, South Africa, staying in Vipan Garden, New Delhi.

Abigail Adonis (30) – from Pretoria, South Africa, staying in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi.

How the investigation progressed

The investigation started in 2024 when Mangalore East police arrested a local suspect Haider (alias Haider Ali) for selling MDMA in the vicinity of Pumpwell. In this, the police seized 15 grams of the substance.

The moment the case was exposed, the Mangalore CCB (City Crime Branch) tracked down the supply line to Bengaluru, where Nigerian national Peter Ikedi Belonwu was arrested and 6.248 kg of MDMA was seized.

Additional intelligence uncovered that Bamba Fanta and Abigail Adonis were trafficking MDMA from Delhi to Bengaluru via air routes. Acting quickly, the police arrested them on March 14 in Niladri Nagar, Bengaluru, when they were transporting the drugs in two trolley bags.

What was seized?

During the raid, the authorities confiscated:

•  37.870 kg of MDMA

•  Four mobile phones

•  Two travel bags

•  Two passports

•  ₹218,460 in cash

•  Other criminal material

Police decided to crack down on drug networks

Mangalore Police Commissioner Anupam Agarwal emphasized the department's resolve to break up drug networks.

"Our campaign to make Mangalore a drug-free city will go on," he said.

The authorities are now investigating more links in the supply chain to break up the large drug trafficking network.

Another notable recent case was seen in December 2024 in which two Indian pharmaceutical companies, Raxuter Chemicals, and Athos Chemicals, were charged with smuggling chemicals used in fentanyl production into the U.S. and Mexico. These chemicals are essential for producing fentanyl, a potent synthetic opioid. The companies allegedly used deceptive practices, such as mislabeling packages, to evade detection.

Drug trafficking remains a significant global challenge, Operation Lionfish Hurricane one of the recent cases Coordinated by INTERPOL, this operation spanned 31 countries and led to the seizure of over 615 tonnes of illicit drugs and precursor chemicals, valued at USD 1.6 billion.

(Input from various sources)

(Rehash/Muhammad Faisal/MSM)