In a coordinated crack operation which involved officials of the International Police (INTERPOL) and some local security forces, three Nigerians have been nabbed over alleged global scam.
The trio were arrested in a sting operation conducted simultaneously in a Lagos suburb, Ajegunle and in Benin City, 300 km to the East of the commercial capital.
One of the scammers, Hendrix Omorume has been charged and convicted and now faces a 12-month prison sentence.
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The three men, aged between 31 and 38, were each arrested in possession of fake documents, including fraudulent invoices and forged official letters.
The investigation was conducted in conjunction with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The operation is part of a global operation codenamed “Killer Bee” involving INTERPOL National Central Bureaus (NCBs) and law enforcement in 11 countries across Southeast Asia.
According to INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Craig Jones, the organisation had “to alert Nigeria to a serious security threat where millions could have been lost without swift police action.”
The laptops and mobile phones seized by EFCC during the arrests, were examined by the INTERPOL to help confirm the systematic use of “Agent Tesla” malware to access business computers and divert monetary transactions to their own accounts.
The agency disclosed that Hendrix Omorume, one of the suspects, was charged with three counts of serious financial fraud and has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment.
Speaking on the arrest, Craig Jones, Interpol’s director of cybercrime, said millions could have been lost if the Interpol had not alerted the EFCC.
“Through its global police network and constant monitoring of cyberspace, INTERPOL had the globally sourced intelligence needed to alert Nigeria to a serious security threat where millions could have been lost without swift police action,” Jones said.
“Further arrests and prosecutions are foreseen across the world as intelligence continues to come in and investigations unfold.”
On his part, Abdulkarim Chukkol, EFCC director of operations, said the commission partners Interpol to keep pace with new technologies and understand how they are being used by criminals.
“Cybercrime is spreading at a fast pace, with new trends constantly emerging. Through operations like Killer Bee, INTERPOL partners EFCC to keep pace with new technologies and understand the possibilities they create for criminals and how they can be used as tools for fighting cybercrime,” Chukkol said.
“The enforcement actions led by Nigeria and coordinated by INTERPOL send a clear message that cybercrime will have serious repercussions for those involved in business email compromise fraud, particularly in Nigeria.”
