Two Nigerians have been arrested in India in separate incidents involving romance scams and drug trafficking, newsmen report.
According to The Hindu’s report on Friday, the Bagalkot district police arrested a 47-year-old Nigerian, Oliver Okechukwu, on charges of duping a woman of ₹5.5 lakh (about N9.5m) under the pretext of marriage.
Bagalkot Superintendent of Police Siddarth Goel confirmed the arrest, saying the suspect was arrested by Bagalkot CEN police in Mumbai on Thursday.
Investigations, according to the report, revealed that Okechukwu, who resides in Shivaji Nagar Bonkode Ganv, Khairane Thane, Mumbai, targeted women through matrimonial websites.
He reportedly introduced himself as “Satya Amit,” a London-based professional, and promised to marry a divorcee from Ilkal, Karnataka, who was seeking a partner at the time.
The report added that the suspect told the woman he had arrived in India but that customs officers had seized US dollars worth ₹1 crore from him at the airport about 18 months ago.
Following back-and-forth, he was said to have succeeded in convincing the victim to transfer the said money into a bank account to complete the transaction.
The woman later complained to the Bagalkot cybercrime police.
The report added that the suspect, Okechukwu, was tracked through PhonePe and Google Pay transactions and CCTV footage from shops where he had made purchases.
The arrest resulted in the recovery of four mobile phones, a laptop, and a passport.
Meanwhile, in a separate operation in Goa, the Crime Branch arrested another Nigerian, Ikechukwu Callistus, 38, from his rented residence at Igrez Vaddo, Marna-Siolim, on charges of drug trafficking.
A report by Digital Goa on Saturday disclosed that the team, led by PI Manguesh Valvaikar and other officers, seized 35.5 grams of cocaine, 4.4 grams of methamphetamine, and 2.3 grams of MDMA, all valued at around ₹8.5 lakh (14.7m).
SP Crime Rahul Gupta, IPS, confirmed the case, stating that Callistus has been booked under the NDPS Act, with further investigation handled by PSI Amin A. Naik.
These arrests come at a time when Nigerians abroad face growing scrutiny over allegations of drug trafficking and fraud.
Earlier this year, more than 50 Nigerians were arrested in Ghana during a raid where police suspected them of cybercrime.
Similar complaints have also been raised in South Africa.
Punch
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