Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
Indian law enforcement authorities have arrested a 27-year-old Nigerian national, Obase Prosper, in New Delhi over allegations of cyber fraud, drug trafficking, and overstaying his visa, in a case that investigators say is linked to an international romance scam syndicate targeting Indian citizens. The suspect, an indigene of Imo State, was apprehended on Friday evening, July 17, 2026, during a joint operation conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and the Delhi Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau at RK Puram in Delhi.
According to Indian authorities, Prosper entered India on a medical visa in 2023 but remained in the country illegally after the permit expired. During the raid, security operatives recovered 5.085 kilograms of methamphetamine with an estimated street value of more than ₹10 crore, equivalent to approximately ₦1.4 billion. Officials also seized five mobile phones and two passports from his possession.
Investigators alleged that Prosper was a key member of a Nigerian syndicate accused of operating sophisticated online romance scams by creating fake profiles on Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp while posing as citizens of the United States and the United Kingdom. Additional Superintendent of Police, STF, Vishal Vikram Singh, said members of the syndicate allegedly lured Indian men and women into online romantic relationships before deceiving them with claims of sending expensive gifts, foreign currency and other valuables to India. Victims were then allegedly persuaded to pay large sums of money as customs duties, Goods and Services Tax and other fabricated charges before the promised packages could be released.
The investigation gained momentum after a resident of Daliganj, Lucknow, reported being defrauded of nearly ₹68 lakh after being befriended on Facebook by a woman using the fake identity "Doris William," who claimed to be from England. Police said the victim was repeatedly instructed to make payments for customs duties, GST and other charges, and was allegedly sent a forged Royal Bank of Scotland certificate to make the fraudulent scheme appear legitimate.
The STF disclosed that another Nigerian national, identified only as Uchenwa, had earlier been arrested on May 15, 2026, in connection with the same investigation, while Prosper had allegedly evaded arrest until the latest operation. Acting on intelligence suggesting that Prosper was also involved in narcotics trafficking, the STF partnered with the Narcotics Control Bureau to execute the raid that led to his arrest.
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 network. 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 that he and Uchenwa jointly orchestrated the alleged ₹68 lakh fraud involving the Lucknow complainant.
Investigators believe several other members of the syndicate are still operating from Delhi, where they are allegedly involved in both cyber fraud and narcotics trafficking. The STF said investigations are continuing to trace the syndicate's financial transactions, scrutinise bank accounts and digital wallets, and carry out forensic examinations of the electronic devices seized during the operation.
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