A Nigerian national identified only as Obi has been arrested in Thailand for allegedly being part of a Nigerian-based romance scam and drug trafficking network that employed Thai women to distribute narcotics across the Southeast Asian country. 

It was learnt that Mr Obi was arrested on Monday at a hotel in Suan Luang district of Bangkok alongside two Thai women, leading to the discovery of 65.5 kilogrammes of heroin, estimated to worth $6.5 million in street value.

The Bangkok Post reported that the two women named as Kanyarat and Somporn were apprehended separately at an apartment in Bung Kum district and southern bus terminal in Bangkok, respectively, as part of the operation. 

Speaking about the case on Wednesday, Police Colonel Jetnipat Siriwat, a superintendent with the Crime Suppression Division, claimed that the heroin seized by officers was a portion of a large-scale narcotics trafficked into Thailand from Laos. 

Mr Obi’s job in the network was reportedly to conceal the heroin at the hotel before repackaging the substance for distribution to dealers who would then go to tourist destination sites in Bangkok, Pattaya and Phuket to sell them.

The Thai Police added that 49.5kg of heroin was found with Mr Obi and Ms Somporn nabbed with 16kg of the drug.

They added that the two suspects confessed to have received the narcotics in snack and pet feed packages from Ms Kanyarat.

Also, Mr Siriwat claimed that Thai women were initially recruited by a Nigerian gang through romance scams before later employed to distribute drugs, earning about $930 per successful delivery.

Authorities also disclosed that the three suspects did not know about the existence of one another.

Mr Obi’s arrest came weeks after The Gazette reported that three Nigerian nationals alongside a Thai woman accomplice were arrested by police in Thailand for allegedly running a scam and money laundering network.

The suspects identified as Miracle Qluebube Duruawuzie, John Bosco Chukwukadibia, Chibueze Solomon Ozoma, and the Thai woman simply named as Patcharin, were apprehended at a hotel in Pattaya.