BENGALURU, India — December 25, 2025 —Indian police have arrested a 29-year-old Nigerian woman after finding 121 grams of cocaine hidden inside loaves of bread she was carrying from Mumbai to Bengaluru, officials said. The suspect, Olajide Esther Iyanuoluwa, was arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru City Police on December 23, 2025. Police acted on specific information about drug movement in the city. Officers stopped her as she arrived in Bengaluru by a private bus. During a search, they found cocaine carefully hidden inside hollowed-out bread loaves stored in her bac

BENGALURU, India — December 25, 2025 —Indian police have arrested a 29-year-old Nigerian woman after finding 121 grams of cocaine hidden inside loaves of bread she was carrying from Mumbai to Bengaluru, officials said.

The suspect, Olajide Esther Iyanuoluwa, was arrested by the Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the Bengaluru City Police on December 23, 2025. Police acted on specific information about drug movement in the city. Officers stopped her as she arrived in Bengaluru by a private bus. During a search, they found cocaine carefully hidden inside hollowed-out bread loaves stored in her backpack.

Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said the seized cocaine was worth about ₹1.20 crore. Investigators believe the drugs were collected from a contact in Mumbai and meant for sale in Bengaluru. The unusual hiding method was used to avoid suspicion during travel. Iyanuoluwa entered India in 2024 on a student visa, police said. However, investigations showed she was not enrolled in any college. Instead, she had been moving between different areas in Mumbai. Authorities believe the student visa was used as a cover for illegal activities. After her arrest, police carried out another operation near Varthur in Bengaluru. They arrested the person meant to receive the drugs, also a Nigerian national. He was later deported. A case has been filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. Iyanuoluwa is now in judicial custody, and deportation procedures are underway.  

Cocaine hidden in sliced bread.

Police say the case shows how drug traffickers are using ordinary items like food to hide illegal drugs, making detection more difficult for law enforcement.

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