BENGALURU: Bengaluru police busted an international narcotics trafficking network, arrested eight people, including five foreign nationals, and seized banned narcotic substances worth an estimated Rs 60.86 crore, officials said on Saturday.Police said the seized contraband included 29 kg of MDMA, 20 grams of cocaine and 1,000 ecstasy pills.The operation was carried out in separate cases registered under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, 1985 by the Hebbal police station, the Central Crime Branch (CCB) Anti-Narcotics Wing and the Girinagar police station.According to a police statement, five special teams were formed by the Hebbal police over the past 15 days as part of the operation.The teams arrested a Nigerian national based in New Delhi, a woman from Manipur residing in Bengaluru and two local residents.Police seized 17.282 kg of MDMA from their possession, with an estimated market value of Rs 34.56 crore.In a separate operation, the CCB Anti-Narcotics Wing registered three NDPS cases and arrested three foreign nationals, including two Nigerians and a South African.Police seized 6.718 kg of MDMA and 20 grams of cocaine from them, with an estimated market value of Rs 14.30 crore.Investigation revealed that the drugs had been procured from a Delhi-based supplier and were being distributed to local peddlers in Bengaluru, a senior police officer said.In the third case, officers and staff of the Girinagar police station gathered intelligence for the past 10 days based on credible information received from informants about the sale of prohibited narcotic drugs within the police station limits.During the operation, another Nigerian national was apprehended and police seized 5 kg of MDMA and 1,000 ecstasy pills, estimated to be worth Rs 12 crore, from his possession.“Investigation revealed that the seized MDMA had been transported from New Delhi by a foreign national and was being supplied through local accused for illegal distribution across Bengaluru city,” it said.According to police, Bengaluru has registered 2,936 NDPS cases so far in 2026 and arrested 3,840 accused, including 37 foreign nationals.During the period, authorities seized 1,415.274 kg of narcotic drugs worth Rs 221.27 crore, with an estimated market value of Rs 322.92 crore.(With inputs from PTI)
