Hyderabad: Telangana’s anti-narcotics wing EAGLE on Tuesday said it has busted a major hawala network linked to drug cartels, arresting 20 people across Maharashtra, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Delhi. About ₹3 crore was seized during the raids conducted by 24 special teams.

The racket came to light after the arrest of a Nigerian national in Hyderabad in June, who was caught selling cocaine and ecstasy. Investigations revealed that foreign cartels were using fake passports, multiple identities and hawala routes to repatriate drug money to Lagos.

EAGLE said cracking hawala channels, tightening visa checks, and strengthening inter-state coordination are key to tackling the menace.