The Karnataka Police have arrested a 29-year-old Nigerian woman for allegedly smuggling cocaine from Mumbai to Bengaluru, concealing it in bread loaves.
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru city police announced the arrest of Olajide Esther Iyanuoluwa, who had come to Delhi in 2024 on a student visa, on Tuesday. She had concealed the contraband inside bread loves and had kept it in her backpack, the police said.
City Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said, “Based on credible information that a foreign woman residing at Grace Trust, within the limits of Varthur Police Station, Bengaluru, was supplying prohibited narcotic drug cocaine to known persons, the CCB Narcotics Control Wing conducted a raid.”
During the raid, the police seized 121 grams of cocaine worth approximately Rs 1.20 crore, one mobile phone used for committing the offence, and other articles.
According to the police, though Iyanuoluwa had claimed to pursue studies at a university, she stayed in areas such as Ghatkopar (Gala Nagar), Ambawadi, and Nallasopara in Mumbai, without enrolling in any college.
“She procured cocaine from her friend in Mumbai and, as per his instructions, transported and supplied the same to designated locations, thereby engaging in drug peddling and earning illegal money. Preliminary investigation has revealed that she used to travel from Mumbai to Bengaluru in private buses and transport cocaine by concealing it in covers of bread and similar products to avoid detection,” Singh said.
Based on Olajide’s statement, the police conducted a subsequent operation near Varthur and arrested the intended recipient. Officials confirmed that the prospective Nigerian buyer was deported shortly after his arrest.
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A police officer said, “The drug cartel, which usually smuggles through couriers or posts recently, changed its route after some raids were conducted on couriers and post offices as well”.
The police have sent Olajide to judicial custody and have initiated proceedings to send her to Nigeria.
According to the Home Department data, 4,168 narcotic cases were registered in 2024 and 1,833 were convicted, while 2,214 are pending trial. In 2025, the numbers increased to 5,747 cases across the state, and 1,079 were convicted, and 3,414 are pending before trial. According to data shared in the first week of December, Bengaluru reported 1,078 drug-related offences, arresting 1,543 people, including 52 foreigners, and seizing 1,446.75 kg of drugs worth Rs 160 crore.
More than 300 foreign nationals have been deported after it was found that they were involved in drug peddling, Home Minister G Parameshwara had said during the winter session held in Belagavi recently.