Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force National Cybercrimes Centre (NPF-NCCC) have arrested seven suspects over money laundering, sextortion, blackmail, online romance scams, and other internet-related frauds. The Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG) in charge of NPF-NCCC, Mr Akaninyene Ezima, disclosed this during a news conference on Wednesday in Abuja.
He said the arrest and investigation of one of the suspects followed a preservation request from the German Federal Police, Bundeskriminalamt (BKA), on Feb. 17, regarding a flagged internet protocol address linked to a sophisticated Business Email Compromise operation. Investigators investigated the syndicate under the code name “Operation Broken Mask”. The operation was executed in collaboration with the BKA and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), under the Budapest Convention 24/7 Network.
According to him, through subscriber checks, Bank Verification Number, and other investigative processes, authorities identified the individual behind the activities. Authorities searched the premises and recovered digital devices for forensic examination, which revealed over 12.5 million victim email logs, with victims identified across more than 50 countries. The investigation established that the suspect operated a business email compromise scheme through which he obtained phishing kits from a vendor on Telegram. He uses the kits to compromise Microsoft 365 login credentials belonging to employees of targeted companies.
The NPF-NCCC said the operation, authorised by the Inspector-General of Police on June 23, led to the suspect's arrest on July 20 at his residence in Megamound Estate, Lekki, Lagos. The suspect’s Bank Verification Number was linked to accounts maintained with six financial institutions and fintech platforms, including Guaranty Trust Bank, Zenith Bank, FairMoney, Carbon, OPay and PalmPay. Investigators recovered a Mercedes-Benz AMG GLC 43 suspected to have been acquired with proceeds of crime. The NPF-NCCC boss said further investigations had established that the suspect made in excess of ₦100 million from the criminal enterprise.
The arrests are a significant victory in the fight against cybercrime. The collaboration with international law enforcement agencies suggests the syndicates operate across borders. The recovery of ₦100 million and the Mercedes-Benz shows that the police are making progress. The investigation of the technology company with ₦3.2 billion in flows shows the scale of the problem.
The winners: the police, who have made significant arrests; and the Nigerian public, who are protected from cybercrime. The losers: the cybercriminals, who face prosecution, and the Nigerian government, which must sustain the fight.
Bottom Line: Seven cybercrime suspects are in custody. The police are collaborating internationally. The fight against cybercrime continues.