'Food app-style delivery of drugs': How a Nigerian kingpin ran home delivery cartel across Delhi using women as agents

In a major crackdown, Delhi Police’s crime branch has busted an international drug cartel operating in the capital’s party circuits and seized narcotics worth over Rs 100 crore. As reported by TOI, five foreign nationals have been arrested, including the India operations head and three Nigerians.

The gang, led by a notorious Nigerian kingpin named Callistus, was running a well-organised network that operated across Delhi-NCR and had links to Malaysia, Australia, New Zealand, Japan and the UK. The cartel was using encrypted WhatsApp chats, forged documents and a call centre-style drug delivery system to operate under the radar.

Drugs, Cash and a Car Seized

During the operation, police seized:

• 2,700 grams of high-purity Colombian cocaine
• 1,000 grams of MDMA
• Over 1 kg of OG ganja
• A sedan car
• Rs 2 lakh in cash
• Mobile phones and passports

The investigation began after a suspicious courier parcel was intercepted at a Moti Nagar facility. According to police, the parcel contained 895 grams of MDMA hidden in packages of Indian suits and ladies' shoes. Following the trail of fake addresses and IDs, police reached Kameni Philipp, a Cameroonian national who headed the syndicate’s India operations.

How the Drug Network Worked

Speaking to TOI, Special Commissioner (Crime) Devesh Shrivastava said, “The cartel used a call centre model through WhatsApp and delivered drugs like food delivery apps using live locations and foot soldiers.”

Interrogation of Kameni Philipp led to the unravelling of the entire cartel’s chain. Police then arrested three Nigerian nationals, Godwin John, Kelechi Chikwe and Ibe Chinedu Austin, along with Koulaie Philippe, alias Tall Guy, from Côte d'Ivoire.

Women Used as Drug Mules, WhatsApp for Deliveries

Additional Commissioner Mangesh Kashyap told TOI that the syndicate used Indian women to smuggle pure cocaine from abroad, banking on their lower risk profile at international airports.

Once in India, the drugs were received by Philipp, who passed them to level-A distributors like Godwin John. He adulterated pure cocaine using neutral cutting agents in a 1:4 ratio, turning 1 kg of cocaine into 5 kg of street-level drug.

Level-B operatives like Ibe alias Victor would then supply it weekly to level-C peddlers for final delivery to users in Delhi-NCR. Weekly collections were funnelled back up the ladder.

What made the cartel more dangerous was its resilience. Police said even if a foot soldier was arrested, handlers in Nigeria maintained centralised customer records, ensuring operations were not affected.

Money Laundering Network Also Exposed

During the investigation, Delhi Police also unearthed a major money laundering racket. According to DCP Harsh Indora, Indians based in Nigeria who wanted to send money home would pay the drug cartel in Naira, and their families in India would receive the equivalent in rupees, completely bypassing official banking systems.

This informal currency exchange network allowed the syndicate to clean its drug money while fulfilling money transfer needs.

Police say investigations are still underway, and more arrests could follow.

Inputs from TOI