Family of Donna Nelson, a prominent Indigenous community leader detained in Japan are claiming she was groomed by a Nigerian love scammer before her arrest for suspected drug trafficking.

The Ballardong Njaki-Njaki woman was intercepted by Japanese authorities at Narita airport near Tokyo this month as her bag was allegedly stuffed with drugs.

Crime Reporter at The Age, Marta Pascual Juanola, says Ms Nelson traveled to Japan to meet with a man, who she knew as ‘Kelly,’ for the first time since their 2-year online relationship started.

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“The details are blurry, the family isn’t too sure what happened but they suspect it’s where the drugs came into possession as it was a bag she had not packed when she left Australia,” Ms Pascual Juanola told Gary Adshead.