LUCKNOW, May 17 -- The Uttar Pradesh Special Task Force (UPSTF) arrested a Nigerian national from Delhi for allegedly operating an international cyber fraud racket that duped a Lucknow resident of nearly Rs.68 lakh through a fake online friendship and "airport gift clearance" scam, STF officials said in a press note shared with media on Saturday. The accused, identified as 49-year-old Uchenwa of Nigeria's Olo state, was arrested from the Khanpur area of south Delhi on Friday night. Three mobile phones and four SIM cards were recovered from his possession. According to investigators, the gang created fake Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp profiles of US and UK citizens to befriend Indian men and women and lure them into emotional relationships. Victims were then promised expensive gifts, dollars and pounds allegedly being brought to India. In the case, a resident of Daliganj in Lucknow came into contact with a woman identifying herself as "Doris William" from England through Facebook in August 2025. After allegedly winning his trust, the woman told him that she was coming to India carrying pounds worth nearly Rs.3 crore. Shortly afterwards, the victim began receiving calls from people posing as customs and income tax officials, who claimed that the foreign currency and gifts had been seized at the Delhi airport. The victim was asked to deposit money for customs duty, GST and other clearance charges. Police said the victim first transferred Rs.61,500 via UPI and was subsequently persuaded to deposit nearly Rs.40 lakh on various pretexts. Later, another caller posing as a remittance officer allegedly convinced him to pay an additional Rs.28 lakh while sending forged RBI-related documents to assure him that the money would be refunded. The fraud allegedly continued until January 2026, after which the victim lodged an FIR at Madeyganj police station in Lucknow. During interrogation, the accused allegedly told investigators that he had come to India in 2010 for a garment business but later joined Nigerian cyber fraud groups operating from Delhi after suffering business losses. He admitted being arrested earlier by Madhya Pradesh Police in a similar case and spending nearly four years in jail before resuming cyber fraud activities after securing bail. STF officials said the gang is suspected to have targeted victims in several states using similar methods. Forensic examination of the seized electronic devices is being carried out while efforts are underway to identify other members of the racket and trace bank accounts and digital wallets used in the fraud....