Nigeria: INTERPOL arrests 36 in Nigeria, recovers $3M in coordinated raid
By Zuleihat Owuiye, Mamos Nigeria
The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has arrested 36 suspects in Nigeria for various crimes, including fraud and human trafficking. The arrests were made in a coordinated operation with Nigerian security agencies.
According to a statement on INTERPOL’s website, the operation resulted in the recovery of $3m and the seizure of various exhibits, including cocaine, cannabis, cars, and ammunition.
The statement noted that most of the suspects were arrested for cyber-enabled fraud, and the majority were under the age of 35. The crimes uncovered included “romance baiting,” investment and cryptocurrency scams, and celebrity scams.
Three of the suspects were arrested for sextortion, while 12 victims of human trafficking were identified and rescued. A female recruiter who had posed as a victim to evade detection was also arrested, and $16,000 was seized from her account.
INTERPOL’s acting Executive Director of Police Services, Cyril Gout, emphasized the importance of collaboration in combating organized crime. “West African Organized Crime Groups are considered to be among the most aggressive and expansionist criminal groups… The success of this operation underscores the critical importance of sustained, multi-agency collaboration in disrupting these networks.”
