Private detectives of India’s Central Crime Branch have arrested a 29-year-old Nigerian woman for allegedly trafficking cocaine concealed inside bread loaves to evade detection.
The Times of India reported on Tuesday that the police seized 121 grammes of cocaine, estimated to be worth about ₹1.2 crore, from the suspect, underscoring a growing trend in which traffickers use everyday food items to move narcotics.
The suspect was identified as Olajide Esther Iyanuoluwa, who arrived in New Delhi last year on a student visa but was never enrolled in any academic institution.
Investigators said she frequently changed locations across Mumbai and its suburbs including Ghatkopar (Gala Nagar), Ambawadi and Nallasopara where she allegedly engaged in drug trafficking.
Senior police officers said Olajide sourced the cocaine from a male associate in Mumbai and was instructed to personally deliver it to another Nigerian national in Bengaluru.
“She was directed to carry the drug herself and hand it over to another Nigerian national residing in Bengaluru. This was done to minimise suspicion and avoid courier-based interception,” an investigating officer revealed.
The CCB said it acted on intelligence that a Nigerian woman was travelling by private bus from Mumbai to Bengaluru and was expected to meet a local drug dealer near Varthur. She was arrested shortly after arriving in the city.
A search of her backpack allegedly uncovered the cocaine hidden inside bread loaves packed with other food items, with holes reportedly drilled into the loaves to conceal the drugs.
Based on her statement, police said they carried out a follow-up operation near Varthur and arrested the intended recipient, who was later deported.
“The case shows how traffickers are constantly innovating ways, using common household items and food as cover,” a senior officer said, adding that surveillance on interstate drug networks had been intensified.
Police said further investigations were ongoing to trace the wider supply chain and identify other members of the syndicate, warning that anyone involved in drug trafficking would face strict action.
