By Jemimah Wellington, JKNewsMedia Reporter
A MAJOR international fraud ring has been dismantled in Lagos following the arrest of 193 suspects, including 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, and others from Kazakhstan, Pakistan, and Indonesia.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) carried out the operation on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, at a seven-storey building located at No. 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
The EFCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, disclosed during a press briefing that the building, known as Big Leaf, served as a hub for romance and investment scams.
Months of surveillance and actionable intelligence led investigators to uncover a highly organised scheme targeting victims worldwide, including Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and Europeans.
Uwujaren explained that the syndicate used the premises to train Nigerian recruits in online fraud techniques.
“The foreign nationals equipped their Nigerian accomplices with computers, mobile devices, and fake profiles to engage victims on platforms like WhatsApp, Instagram, and Telegram,” he revealed.
Investigators discovered that the building housed high-end desktop computers, with 500 SIM cards of local telecom operators recovered from a single floor.
He added that recruits were tasked with impersonating foreign females in online romance scams and convincing victims to invest in a fake cryptocurrency platform, www.yooto.com.
Activation fees for the platform started at $35.
The syndicate’s operation was structured to block Nigerian recruits from the network after initial victim engagement, ensuring they remained unaware of the full scope of the fraud.
Recruits were paid in cash or via personal accounts, with no official employment documentation.
Uwujaren noted that this operation challenges the stereotype that Nigerians alone are responsible for fraud originating in the country.
“Foreigners are exploiting Nigeria’s reputation as a hub for fraud to establish criminal enterprises here. But this arrest proves that no hiding place exists for criminals in Nigeria.”
Items recovered during the raid include computers, mobile phones, laptops, and cars.
The suspects, who have provided statements, remain in custody under a valid remand warrant and are awaiting arraignment.
Investigations continue in collaboration with international partners to trace the full extent of the syndicate’s activities and connections to global fraud networks.
