Family and friends of a West Australian woman detained in Japan believe she is the victim of a romance scam, which resulted in her being arrested with drugs in the luggage she was carrying.
Key points:
- Donna Nelson went overseas to meet a man from a dating site, her family says
- It is believed his associate gave her a suitcase to take to Tokyo
- She was detained after drugs were allegedly found in the luggage
Donna Nelson was the chair of a WA Aboriginal health service, and an Aboriginal community leader.
The Ballardong Njaki-Njaki woman had been on a personal trip through Asia earlier this month when she was arrested at Tokyo’s Narita Airport.
Family and friends have grown concerned about her welfare, having limited or no contact with her since.
Family members have told the ABC claims first published in the Sydney Morning Herald, that she was groomed by a Nigerian love scammer for two years before she was arrested for suspected drug trafficking are correct.
According to the report, Ms Nelson had travelled to Japan to meet a Nigerian man who she met two years earlier through an online dating site called AfroIntroductions.
The man had claimed to be the owner of a couture brand.
The ABC has been told Ms Nelson’s daughters knew she was travelling to Japan to meet a man she had been speaking to online and felt uneasy about the situation.
Drugs believed hidden inside luggage
It’s understood Ms Nelson had initially travelled to Laos but did not meet with the man.
Instead, an associate is…
