Indian authorities have arraigned a Nigerian woman, Margret Mgbudom, before the Chief Judicial Magistrate Court in Navsari, Gujarat, on charges of smuggling cocaine valued at ₹1.49 crore (approximately ₦256 million).
According to reports, Gujarat’s State Monitoring Cell (SMC) intercepted the illicit substance during a highway surveillance operation last Wednesday. The 37-year-old, a resident of Meera Road, Mumbai, was taken into custody and has remained in detention since her arrest.
Mgbudom was apprehended in Maharashtra after law enforcement received intelligence on her activities. A search of her vehicle led to the discovery of 149.51 grams of cocaine, which was later confirmed through forensic analysis. Officials immediately confiscated her passport and charged her under various sections of India’s Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act.
Providing details on the case, SMC Police Inspector V.C. Jadeja revealed that during interrogation, the suspect claimed the drugs belonged to an individual named Elder in Nigeria. She allegedly received the package from an accomplice, Emmanuel, in Mumbai and was en route to deliver it to another contact in Surat.
Jadeja also hinted at a larger international drug network, stating, “There appears to be a syndicate operating from Nigeria. While the cocaine may have originated there, local cartel members in India handle distribution and sales at inflated prices.”
Authorities are continuing investigations to uncover the full extent of the operation and its possible links to international drug trafficking networks.
