A 27-year-old Nigerian national has been arrested in India for allegedly overstaying his medical visa and being in possession of 5.085kg of methamphetamine valued at more than Rs10 crore.

According to Times of India on Saturday, the suspect, identified as Obase Prosper, was arrested during a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and the Narcotics Control Bureau’s Delhi Zonal Unit at RK Puram, Delhi, on Friday evening.

According to the STF, Prosper, an indigene of Imo State, entered India on a medical visa in 2023 but remained in the country after the visa expired.

Authorities also alleged that he was a key member of an international romance scam syndicate that targeted Indian victims through fake social media accounts.

Additional Superintendent of Police, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh, said the syndicate allegedly created fake profiles on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp while posing as citizens of the United States and the United Kingdom.

“The gang befriended Indian men and women online, lured them into romantic relationships, and later claimed to be sending expensive gifts, foreign currency and valuables to India,” Singh said.

According to investigators, victims were later contacted by individuals posing as Customs or Income Tax officials and were falsely informed that the parcels had been seized because they contained excessive cash or valuable items.

The victims were allegedly persuaded to pay customs duties, income tax, GST and other clearance charges before the fictitious parcels could be released.

The investigation stemmed from a complaint by a resident of Daliganj, Lucknow, who alleged that he was defrauded of nearly Rs68 lakh after being befriended on Facebook by a woman using the fake identity “Doris William”, purportedly from England.

Police said the victim was repeatedly asked to make payments for customs duties, GST and other charges and was allegedly sent a forged Royal Bank of Scotland certificate to make the scheme appear legitimate.

The STF disclosed that another Nigerian national, identified as Uchenwa, had earlier been arrested in connection with the same case on May 15, 2026, while Prosper allegedly evaded arrest until Friday.

Acting on intelligence that Prosper was also involved in drug trafficking, the STF partnered with the Narcotics Control Bureau to conduct the raid that led to his arrest.

Officials said they recovered 5.085kg of methamphetamine, five mobile phones and two passports during the operation.

During interrogation, Prosper allegedly admitted that he remained in India after his medical visa expired and claimed that fellow Nigerian nationals introduced him to the cyber fraud operation.

He also allegedly confessed that members of the syndicate used fake foreign identities on social media to establish relationships with Indian victims before extorting money through fabricated customs and tax demands.

Police further alleged that Prosper admitted he and Uchenwa jointly orchestrated the alleged Rs68 lakh fraud involving the Lucknow complainant.

Investigators said several other members of the syndicate were still operating from Delhi, allegedly engaging in both cyber fraud and narcotics trafficking.

The STF said investigations were ongoing to trace the group’s financial transactions, examine bank accounts and digital wallets, and conduct forensic analysis of the seized electronic devices. (The PUNCH)

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