Excise authorities seek federal help to locate Nigerian suspect in drug synthesis case

Excise department officials have launched a manhunt for Emmanuel Afam, 46, a Nigerian national suspected of orchestrating the production and distribution of MDMA (3,4-methylenedioxy-methamphetamine) across multiple locations in India. Authorities have requested assistance from central law enforcement agencies to apprehend the accused, who is believed to have evaded initial attempts at capture.

According to excise officials, Afam is suspected of being a critical link in a synthetic drug operation that spans several states. Investigators allege that he established clandestine "drug kitchens"—illicit laboratories used to manufacture controlled substances—in various parts of the country, positioning him as a significant player in India's illegal narcotics trade.

The case highlights the growing involvement of international criminal networks in India's drug manufacturing and trafficking landscape. Officials have indicated that Afam's operation likely supplied synthetic drugs to distributors across multiple cities, suggesting a sophisticated supply chain network. The involvement of a foreign national in large-scale domestic drug production has raised concerns among law enforcement agencies about transnational organized crime.

Central law enforcement agencies, including those responsible for inter-state and international criminal investigations, are expected to coordinate with state excise departments to trace Afam's current whereabouts and dismantle his operational network. Investigators are also working to identify associates and distributors connected to the suspected drug manufacturing operation.