Mangaluru: MDMA drugs now being produced domestically?

Mangaluru: The synthetic drug MDMA, which was previously smuggled into India from abroad, is now being manufactured domestically, particularly in northern India, according to recent police investigations. This development has come to light as police crackdown on drug operations across the country, including high-profile raids at rave parties.

A major breakthrough in this case came when Mangaluru CCB police arrested Peter Ikedi Belonwu, a Nigerian national, in Bengaluru with drugs worth Rs 6 crore. This case has caused a sensation across Karnataka, marking it as the largest drug seizure in Mangaluru and the second-largest in the state. The police are now trying to trace the origins of the drugs and capture the larger network of suppliers involved.

Digging deeper into the network

Police have frequently arrested small-time peddlers, but this time they are focused on uncovering the source of the drug supply. Notorious drug dealers like Peter typically do not reveal their sources easily. However, during the investigation, the police tracked Peter’s financial transactions, which showed that he had been withdrawing money from the same ATM location in Bengaluru. Based on this information, they arrested him from the Govind Reddy Layout.

Peter Ikedi came to Bengaluru in 2019 on a business visa, but despite his visa expiring within two months, he did not return to Nigeria. Instead, he stayed back and began distributing MDMA (commonly known as Ecstasy) in various parts of the state. Investigations also revealed that Peter married a woman from northeastern India, who works as a beautician, and they have one child. He was running his drug operations from an office located 15 kilometers from his residence.

Use of virtual phone numbers

According to available information, Peter avoided direct contact with his clients and distributed drugs covertly. He changed his phone number every two months and did not use an Indian SIM card. Instead, he used virtual phone numbers provided by private companies. He activated WhatsApp with a SIM card acquired from his friends in Nigeria and continued to operate without using any local SIM.

Sources indicate that drug agents like Peter purchase 1 kilogram of MDMA for Rs 5 to Rs 10 lakh and then sell it for five to ten times the price.