Nigeria, July 3 -- The investigation, led by the UK's National Crime Agency (NCA), has already linked more than 270 suspects across dozens of countries to the crime, now officially termed organised drug-facilitated sexual assault (ODFSA).

According to the NCA, the offending typically happens inside long-term relationships, where a partner is drugged with sedatives or alcohol before being sexually assaulted, often without ever knowing it happened. In many cases, the abuse stretched across years, with victims only finding out after police contacted them or digital evidence surfaced.

Investigators began tracking one online forum in October 2025. Since then, the NCA has sent out more than 210 intelligence packages on suspects and potential...