A Nigerian man identified only as Kelly has been linked to the conviction of a 59-year-old Australian grandmother, Donna Nelson, for drug smuggling in Japan.
According to the Daily Mail, Nelson, from Perth in Western Australia, was sentenced to six years in prison by a Japanese court in December 2024.
She was arrested at Narita International Airport, near Tokyo, after customs officers found two kilogrammes of methamphetamine concealed in her luggage.
Investigations revealed that Nelson met Kelly online in 2020 and allegedly introduced himself as a Nigerian fashion entrepreneur, promising to marry her.
Kelly reportedly paid for her trip to Japan via Laos in 2023, instructing her to collect dress samples from one of his associates in Southeast Asia.
However, he failed to show up upon her arrival in Japan, and she was later arrested after the drugs were discovered in a tampered suitcase.
Nelson maintained her innocence, claiming she was unaware of the drugs and believed she was helping her fiancé’s business.
Her lawyers argued that she was a victim of a romance scam.
After losing her appeal at the Tokyo High Court in September 2025, Nelson’s daughter, Ashlee Charles, said the family had decided not to pursue a further appeal at the Supreme Court.
“She’s ending the fight against her conviction and will apply to serve her sentence in Australia under the international prisoner transfer process,” Charles told the Australian Associated Press.
Kelly’s whereabouts remain unknown, and Japanese authorities have not confirmed whether efforts are underway to track him down.
