Excise officials from Kerala nabbed a suspected operative in the international narcotics network from the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGI) in Delhi.
The accused, Mohammed Jamiu Abdu Rahim, a Nigerian national, allegedly operated a large-scale drug distribution network in Bengaluru and Kerala. He was arrested by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) led by Wayanad Excise Deputy Commissioner Y. Prasad.
Sleuths were probing the origin of several drug cases in Wayanad. This trail eventually led them to an international drug bust. The four people who were earlier arrested in these cases allegedly received drugs from Abdu Rahim in exchange for money.
The accused is also suspected to have been a major supplier to other African nationals in Bengaluru and a key intermediary in the distribution of drugs to Kerala.
Under the scanner
The SIT had been tracking the accused for almost two months. When they tried to arrest him earlier in Delhi, the accused had already gone to Nigeria via Ethiopia. A Look Out Circular was subsequently issued leading to his eventual return to India with the help of central agencies.
He was apprehended at the IGI Airport with the help of the Bureau of Immigration (BoI) and the Intelligence Bureau (IB). The accused was taken to Kerala under tight Central Industrial Security (CISF) security.
Minister of State for Local Government, Excise and Parliamentary Affairs MB Rajesh congratulated the excise department for the successful operation. He added that the arrest is a “golden feather in the cap of Kerala Excise” and reinforces the state’s no-compromise stance against narcotics trade.
Published – 12 Dec 2025 20:51 IST
