Thai police have arrested two Nigerian men and a Thai woman after uncovering an alleged romance scam drug network that used fake online profiles to lure Thai women into transporting narcotics, according to reports today, June 14.
The arrests were carried out by the Crime Suppression Division, the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, Nong Khai Immigration police, and related teams.
The accused were identified as 39 year old Nigerian national Emeka, 45 year old Nigerian national Anayo, and a 23 year old Thai woman identified only as Li.
Police arrested Emeka at a toll checkpoint on Motorway Route 9 in Samut Prakan. Anayo was arrested in the Ramkhamhaeng area of Bangkok, while Li was arrested at a hotel in the same area.
Police said the arrests followed an expanded investigation into a transnational drug trafficking network. Officers found that the group allegedly used fake profiles on dating applications and social media platforms, including Facebook.
According to police, the profiles used images of foreign men who appeared wealthy and credible. The accounts claimed to be businessmen, engineers, or soldiers before forming romantic relationships with Thai women.
Once trust was built, the communication would allegedly move to WhatsApp to avoid detection and monitoring by officers.
Investigators found that Li had been in contact with a Nigerian man using the name “Mc General” after meeting him on Facebook in mid-2025.
Police said the man persuaded her to travel to a neighbouring country to collect items and bring them into Thailand. She was allegedly paid about 40,000 to 50,000 baht each time.
Li reportedly admitted that she had smuggled drugs from a neighbouring country into Thailand three times. Police said she was arrested during the latest delivery.
The smuggling route reportedly involved crossing the border through natural channels in Nong Khai province. The accused allegedly travelled by long-tail boat to the neighbouring country before network members took her to a hotel.
The drugs were then placed inside luggage and disguised in different forms, including parcel boxes, coffee bags, and snack bags.
Police said the return trip to Thailand involved several vehicle changes, including cars, vans, and boats, to avoid inspection before the drugs were brought into Bangkok.
Investigators later learned that Li had returned to Thailand with luggage allegedly containing narcotics and checked into a hotel in the Ramkhamhaeng area.
Police said she was then instructed by a Nigerian man to deliver items from the luggage in separate batches to foreign members of the network.
Officers monitored the deliveries. After tracking the first handover, they found that another delivery had been arranged outside Li’s hotel in Ramkhamhaeng.
Police moved in when the second Nigerian man received the items and allegedly tried to leave. The investigation then led to the arrests of all three accused.
Officers later expanded the search and seized a large quantity of heroin and cocaine with a combined value of more than 25 million baht.
Li reportedly confessed that she had brought cocaine and heroin from a neighbouring country to deliver to Nigerian nationals. She said she had done so three times, and that the latest trip led to her arrest.
FM91 reported that police said Emeka denied the charges, while Anayo confessed that he owned the cocaine delivered by Li and was preparing to distribute the drugs in community areas.
