Indian authorities have arrested a 27-year-old Nigerian national, Obase Prosper, over allegations of cyber fraud, drug trafficking and overstaying his visa, following a joint operation by security agencies in New Delhi.
Prosper, who is from Imo State, was apprehended on Friday during an operation conducted by the Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force and the Delhi Zonal Unit of the Narcotics Control Bureau at RK Puram, Delhi.
According to Indian authorities, the suspect entered the country in 2023 on a medical visa but allegedly remained in India after the visa expired.
Investigators further alleged that Prosper was a key member of an international romance scam network that targeted Indian citizens through fake social media accounts.
Additional Superintendent of Police, Vishal Vikram Singh, said members of the syndicate allegedly created false identities on platforms including Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, posing as citizens of the United States and the United Kingdom to lure unsuspecting victims into online relationships.
He explained that after gaining the confidence of victims, the suspects allegedly claimed to have sent expensive gifts, foreign currency and valuables to India. Victims were then contacted by individuals posing as Customs or Income Tax officials and told the parcels had been seized because they contained undeclared cash or valuable items.
According to investigators, the victims were subsequently pressured into paying customs duties, taxes, GST and other clearance fees before the fictitious parcels could be released.
The investigation began after a resident of Daliganj in Lucknow reported losing nearly Rs68 lakh to fraudsters after allegedly being deceived by a woman using the fake identity “Doris William,” who claimed to be based in England.
Police said the complainant was repeatedly persuaded to transfer money for various charges and was allegedly issued a forged Royal Bank of Scotland certificate to make the scheme appear genuine.
Authorities disclosed that another Nigerian, identified simply as Uchenwa, had earlier been arrested in connection with the case on May 15, 2026, while Prosper allegedly remained at large until his arrest.
Acting on intelligence linking Prosper to narcotics trafficking, the Special Task Force collaborated with the Narcotics Control Bureau to carry out the operation.
Security operatives said they recovered 5.085 kilograms of methamphetamine, five mobile phones and two passports during the raid.
During interrogation, Prosper allegedly admitted that he overstayed his medical visa and claimed that fellow Nigerians introduced him to the alleged cybercrime network.
Investigators also alleged that he confessed to participating in online romance scams in which fake foreign identities were used to deceive victims before demanding payments under the guise of customs and tax charges.
Police further alleged that Prosper admitted working alongside Uchenwa in the alleged Rs68 lakh fraud involving the Lucknow resident.
Authorities said investigations are continuing to identify other members of the syndicate, trace financial transactions, examine bank accounts and digital wallets, and conduct forensic analysis of the electronic devices recovered during the operation.
