A 27-year-old Nigerian man has been arrested in India for staying past his medical visa expiration and for having 5.085kg of methamphetamine worth over Rs10 crore.
According to Times of India on Saturday, the suspect, Obase Prosper, was caught 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.
The STF said Prosper, who is from Imo State, came to India on a medical visa in 2023 but stayed after the visa expired.
Authorities also claimed he was a major member of an international romance scam ring that targeted Indian victims using fake social media accounts.
Vishal Vikram Singh, Additional Superintendent of Police, explained that the gang created fake profiles on Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, pretending to be Americans and Britons.
“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.
Investigators found that victims were later contacted by people pretending to be Customs or Income Tax officials. They were falsely told that their parcels were seized due to excessive cash or valuable items.
The victims were then convinced to pay customs duties, income tax, GST, and other fees before they could get their fake parcels.
This investigation started after a complaint from a resident of Daliganj, Lucknow. The complainant said he lost nearly Rs68 lakh after being befriended on Facebook by a woman using the fake name “Doris William,” who claimed to be from England.
Police mentioned that the victim was repeatedly asked to pay customs duties, GST, and other charges. He was also sent a forged Royal Bank of Scotland certificate to make the scam look real.
The STF revealed that another Nigerian, named Uchenwa, was arrested earlier in connection with the same case on May 15, 2026, while Prosper managed to avoid arrest until Friday.
After receiving intelligence that Prosper was also involved in drug trafficking, the STF teamed up with the Narcotics Control Bureau to carry out the raid that led to his arrest.
Officials reported recovering 5.085kg of methamphetamine, five mobile phones, and two passports during the operation.
During questioning, Prosper reportedly admitted that he stayed in India after his medical visa expired. He said other Nigerians introduced him to the cyber fraud scheme.
He also confessed that members of the gang used fake foreign identities on social media to build relationships with Indian victims before extorting money under the guise of customs and tax demands.
Police further claimed that Prosper admitted he and Uchenwa worked together on the Rs68 lakh fraud involving the Lucknow complainant.
Investigators said many other members of the scam are still active in Delhi, allegedly involved in both cyber fraud and drug trafficking.
The STF stated that investigations are ongoing to trace the group’s financial transactions, check bank accounts and digital wallets, and conduct forensic analysis of the seized electronic devices.
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