Indian authorities have remanded a 37-year-old Nigerian woman, Margret Mgbudom, after she was caught with cocaine worth Rs 1.49 crore (approximately N256 million).
Mgbudom was arrested during a police operation by Gujarat’s State Monitoring Cell (SMC) last Wednesday. Law enforcement intercepted her vehicle on a highway in Maharashtra, where a search led to the discovery of 149.51 grams of cocaine. A forensic test later confirmed the substance, prompting officials to seize her passport and take her into custody.
According to reports, Mgbudom, who resides in Mumbai’s Meera Road area, was allegedly acting as a courier. During interrogation, she revealed that the drugs belonged to a Nigerian individual named Elder and were handed to her by a contact in Mumbai, Emmanuel, for delivery in Surat.
SMC Police Inspector V.C. Jadeja suggested that an international drug syndicate, possibly controlled from Nigeria, might be operating in India. “The cocaine may have been smuggled into the country through peddlers, but local cartel members distribute it at high prices,” Jadeja stated.
Mgbudom has been charged under India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act and remains in custody as investigations continue.
