Ghana arrests Nigerians accused of working cyber-crime networks in Accra

[ad_1] Thomas Naadi, BBC Africa, Accra and

Jean Otalor

<img sizes="(min-width: 1280px) 50vw, (min-width: 1008px) 66vw, 96vw" srcset="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/240/cpsprodpb/2055/live/ea14f310-f547-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 240w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/320/cpsprodpb/2055/live/ea14f310-f547-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 320w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2055/live/ea14f310-f547-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 480w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/640/cpsprodpb/2055/live/ea14f310-f547-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 640w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/800/cpsprodpb/2055/live/ea14f310-f547-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 800w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/cpsprodpb/2055/live/ea14f310-f547-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 1024w,https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1536/cpsprodpb/2055/live/ea14f310-f547-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp 1536w" src="https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/480/cpsprodpb/2055/live/ea14f310-f547-11f0-a422-4ba8a094a8fa.jpg.webp" loading="eager" alt="Cyber Security Authority Five men stand over laptops on a table with their hands behind their backs. The victims were found in their respective apartments, operating laptop computers." class="sc-5340b511-0 hLdNfA"/> Cyber Safety Authority The authorities launched photos of a few of these discovered within the raids together with their gear

Ghana's safety forces have arrested 9 Nigerians suspected of co-ordinating a number of cyber-crime actions from makeshift places of work in and across the capital, Accra.

Forty-four others, believed to be victims dropped at Ghana from Nigeria beneath false pretences, have additionally been detained and handed over to the immigration authority.

In the course of the two-day intelligence-led operation, raids uncovered 62 laptops, 52 cellphones and two pump-action weapons, the authorities have stated.

There's a rising pattern of foreigners being lured to Ghana beneath the pretext of profitable work. They're then put in gated compounds, have their paperwork confiscated and are compelled to have interaction in cyber-crime.

They usually work on romance scams, the place a sufferer is inspired to ship cash to a fictitious accomplice who they consider is actual, or enterprise e mail compromise, the place somebody poses as an employer and will get folks to sends funds or delicate information.

The weekend's operation was collectively co-ordinated by a number of businesses, together with the Cyber Safety Authority (CSA).

''All of the arrested people have been duly profiled and handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service for safekeeping and additional investigations," Communications Minister Sam George stated in a submit on X.

"We warning overseas nationals invited to Ghana to confirm claims made by their fellow nationals to lure them right here.''

George additionally indicated that suspects arrested in earlier latest operations have been handed over to Nigerian legislation enforcement or are going through prosecution.

The CSA and different businesses have been making efforts to flush out cyber-criminals, together with working with the US authorities to arrest high-profile suspects.

Amongst latest operations was the arrest of a well-liked Ghanaian social media influencer often called Abu Trica, whose actual title is Frederick Kumi, who allegedly stole $8m (£5.9m) from susceptible Individuals by a romance rip-off. He has not but commented on the allegations.

One other profitable operation was the dismantling of a syndicate that defrauded over 200 victims of $400,000 (£300,000).

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