Three people, including two Nigerian nationals, were arrested after police uncovered a drug trafficking operation linked to a romance scam. Authorities seized cocaine and heroin worth over 25 million baht.
The arrests were made on Saturday in Bangkok and Samut Prakan following a joint operation led by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). Those detained were Mr Emeka, 39, and Mr Anayo, 45, both Nigerian nationals, and Ms Lalita, 23, a Thai national.
Pol Lt Gen Natthasak Chaowanasai, commissioner of the CIB, said the operation stemmed from an investigation into a narcotics network. The Nigerian suspects ran a romance scam, creating fake profiles on dating apps and Facebook to gain the trust of Thai women, then moving them to WhatsApp where they were manipulated into assisting criminal activities.
Police said Ms Lalita had been deceived by a Nigerian man using the alias "Mc General" since mid-2025. After gaining her trust, he offered her 40,000-50,000 baht to transport luggage from a neighbouring country into Thailand.
All three were arrested at the handover point and police seized cocaine and heroin with an estimated street value of more than 25 million baht.
Mr Anayo admitted owning the narcotics intended for distribution in local communities. Mr Emeka denied all allegations. All three have been charged under narcotics laws.
