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EFCC Busts Major Cybercrime Syndicate in Lagos, Arrests 792 Suspects Including Foreign Nationals
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has announced the dismantling of a major cybercrime syndicate in Lagos, leading to the arrest of 792 suspects.
Among those arrested were 193 foreign nationals, including 148 Chinese, 40 Filipinos, two Kazakhs, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian.
Speaking to the press on behalf of the EFCC chairman, the Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said the operation highlights the scale of international cybercrime using Nigeria as a base.
The syndicate operates from a seven-storey building located on Oyin Jolayemi Street in Victoria Island, Lagos. The facility was reportedly used to train Nigerians to carry out romance and investment scams.
These scams targeted victims from countries like the United States, Canada, Mexico, and several European nations. During the raid, high-end equipment, including hundreds of computers and 500 SIM cards, was seized. Uwujaren explained that the group created fake profiles on platforms like WhatsApp and Instagram to deceive victims. They directed victims to a fraudulent cryptocurrency site, www. Yooto.com where the scams were completed.
The EFCC revealed that foreign masterminds trained Nigerian recruits for two weeks on how to execute the scams. The Nigerians would engage victims, but the foreign leaders would step in to finalize the fraud.
Payments to the local recruits were made in cash or through personal accounts, making the transactions untraceable. Many of the recruits were unaware of the full extent of the scams or the proceeds.
Uwujaren added that the raid proves that cybercrime in Nigeria involves significant foreign participation, countering the belief that it is purely a domestic problem. The EFCC is working with international partners to uncover the syndicate’s global connections.
The operation also led to the recovery of computers, mobile devices, and vehicles. The suspects are currently in custody with valid remand warrants and will soon face prosecution.
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