Lucknow/New Delhi, July 19 (IANS) The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (STF) has arrested a Nigerian national from Delhi for running an online fraud racket that targeted Indian men and women through fake social media profiles, officials said on Sunday.
The accused, identified as 27-year-old Obase Prosper, was also found in possession of 5.085 kilograms of methamphetamine, valued at more than Rs 10 crore in the international market.
According to the STF, Obase Prosper was residing at house number 2/10 in Raju Park, South Delhi. During interrogation, he disclosed that he had arrived in India in 2023 on a medical visa. However, after his visa expired, he continued to stay in the country illegally.
The STF recovered 5.085 kilograms of methamphetamine from his possession, along with five mobile phones and two passports. Officials said the seized narcotics are estimated to be worth more than Rs 10 crore in the international market.
Investigators alleged that the accused operated an organised cyber fraud network by posing as a citizen of the United States or the United Kingdom.
Using social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp, he allegedly befriended young men and women from India and other countries before gaining their trust.
The accused would then allegedly claim to be sending expensive gifts or foreign currency parcels to the victims.
Later, posing as officials or through accomplices, victims were informed that the parcels had been seized by the Customs or Income Tax Department at the airport and that taxes or other charges had to be paid for their release.
Using this modus operandi, the gang allegedly cheated victims of lakhs of rupees.
In one such case, the accused allegedly befriended a youth from Daliganj in Lucknow through Facebook and duped him of Rs 68 lakh. STF officials said another accused, identified as Uchenwa, assisted him in carrying out the fraud.
A case in connection with the incident has already been registered at Madeyganj Police Station, and the STF had been searching for the accused as part of its investigation.
During questioning, Obase Prosper allegedly revealed that several other members were part of the syndicate. He admitted that after the expiry of their visas, he and his associates continued living in India illegally while posing as American and British nationals to befriend and cheat Indian as well as foreign citizens through online platforms.
Officials said that on May 15, the STF had arrested one of Prosper’s associates in Delhi.
During the subsequent investigation, the agency received information suggesting that Prosper was also involved in drug trafficking. Acting on the inputs, the STF, in a joint operation with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), arrested the accused.
Further investigation is underway.
–IANS
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