Nigerian overstayer arrested in Delhi with ₦1.44bn Drugs, linked to romance scam

A 27-year-old Nigerian who entered India on a medical visa and overstayed after it expired in 2023 has been arrested in Delhi with 5.085 kg of methamphetamine worth over ₹10 crore. 

The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force, STF, said he was also a key member of an international romance scam syndicate that duped Indians.

The accused, Obase Prosper, was arrested on Friday in a joint operation by the UP STF and the Narcotics Control Bureau, NCB, Delhi.

Additional Superintendent of Police, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh said Prosper was part of a Nigerian syndicate that allegedly created fake profiles on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, impersonating 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.

*How the scam was traced*  

The STF said the investigation gained momentum after a resident of Daligan alleged he was befriended on Facebook by a woman using the identity ‘Doris William’ from England. 

Investigators said the victim was allegedly cheated of nearly ₹68 lakh through repeated demands for customs duty, GST and other charges. He was also allegedly sent a forged Royal Bank of Scotland, RBS, certificate to make the fraud appear genuine.

A case was registered at Madiaon police station in Lucknow.

The STF said another Nigerian national, Uchenwa, was arrested in the same case in Delhi on May 15, 2026, while Prosper had remained absconding.

*Narcotics link*  

When the STF cyber team reached Delhi to apprehend him, local intelligence indicated that Prosper was also involved in narcotics trafficking. 

Acting on the input, the STF coordinated with the NCB Delhi zonal unit and carried out a joint raid. Officers seized 5.085 kg of methamphetamine, five mobile phones and two passports.