Ghanaian security agencies have arrested nine Nigerian nationals accused of running organised cybercrime operations from temporary offices in and around the capital city, Accra.
In the same operation, forty four other individuals were also detained. Authorities believe they were brought from Nigeria to Ghana under false promises of employment. These individuals have been handed over to the immigration department.
The arrests followed a two day intelligence based operation. During the raids, officials recovered sixty two laptops, fifty two mobile phones and two pump action guns.
Officials said there is a rising pattern of foreigners being lured into Ghana with offers of well paying jobs. Once they arrive, their documents are seized, and they are confined in gated compounds. They are then forced to take part in cybercrime activities.
These crimes often include romance scams, where victims are convinced to send money to a fake online partner. Another common method is business email compromise, where fraudsters pretend to be employers and trick people into transferring money or sharing sensitive information.
The weekend operation was jointly carried out by several agencies, including the Cyber Security Authority.
“All the arrested individuals have been duly profiled and handed over to the Ghana Immigration Service for safekeeping and further investigations,” Communications Minister Sam George said in a post on X.
“We caution foreign nationals invited to Ghana to verify claims made by their fellow nationals to lure them here.”
The minister also said that suspects from earlier operations have either been handed over to Nigerian authorities or are facing prosecution.
The Cyber Security Authority and other agencies have intensified their efforts to dismantle cybercrime networks. This includes working with United States authorities to arrest high profile suspects.
One recent case involved the arrest of a well known Ghanaian social media influencer called Abu Trica, whose real name is Frederick Kumi. He is accused of stealing eight million dollars from vulnerable Americans through romance scams. He has not yet commented on the allegations.
In another major operation, authorities dismantled a syndicate that had cheated more than two hundred victims of four hundred thousand dollars.
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