Dubbed the largest cybercrime syndicate, EFCC, on 10 December 2024, arrested a group of 792 suspects including Nigerians, Chinese, Arab and Filipino nationals involved in alleged cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scams
EFCC arraigns some of 792 alleged internet fraud suspects arrested in Lagos
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arraigned a group of individuals on Friday, stemming from the arrest of 792 alleged internet and cryptocurrency fraud suspects in Lagos last December.
Among those arrested were 148 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, two individuals from Kharzartan, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian. They were apprehended during a surprise operation known as the ‘Eagle Flush Operation.’
The EFCC accused these foreign nationals of orchestrating large-scale internet fraud schemes and of recruiting Nigerian youths into illicit cyber activities. The suspects were brought before trial judge D.I. Dipeolu on separate charges, including cybercrimes, cyber-terrorism, possession of documents containing false pretenses, and identity theft. All defendants pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
Following their not-guilty pleas, the prosecuting attorneys—L.P. Aso, M. K. Bashir, T. J. Banjo, N. K. Ukoha, and B. Buhari-Bala—requested the court to set trial dates and remand the defendants in correctional facilities. The judge ordered their remand at the Ikoyi and Kirikiri Correctional Centres and scheduled the trials for February 7, 14, and 21.
One of the defendants, Luo You, faces charges for willfully providing false information to EFCC officers during their investigation. He is accused of misleading investigators by pretending to be A. You when questioned on December 18, 2024, regarding his involvement in a criminal syndicate that specialized in romance scams, cryptocurrency fraud, and cyber-terrorism. This offense is contrary to section 39(2) of the EFCC (Establishment) Act, 2004, and is punishable under the same section.
Another defendant, Long Ming, also known as Ling Yang, is charged with possession of false documents in which she falsely identified herself as ‘Linda Maureen’, a citizen of the United States. The EFCC claims she was aware that these details were false but obtained the fraudulent document intending to defraud, which constitutes an offense under section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud Related Offences Act, 2006, punishable under section 1(3) of the same Act.
Additionally, the EFCC charged Li Hui and the company Genting International Co. Limited with procuring and employing Nigerian youths for identity theft while pretending to be foreign nationals in order to defraud. The commission alleges that the defendants recruited Nigerians to access computer systems, thereby seriously destabilizing the constitutional framework of Nigeria, which prohibits and prevents cyber and related crimes. This offense is contrary to and punishable under Section 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc.) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024). The penalties for these offenses are outlined in the relevant sections of the laws cited.
The provision states that any person who knowingly makes or causes another person to make a false statement, or a statement intended to mislead, to an officer of the Commission or any other public officer in the course of their duties, commits an offence. Upon conviction, such an individual is liable to a fine not exceeding one hundred thousand naira or imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years, or both.
Section 6 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other fraud related Offences Act, of the Act under which Long Ming was charged, criminalises the possession of any document containing false pretences. If an individual is found with such a document and knows or ought to know, given the circumstances, that it contains false pretences, they are deemed to have committed an attempt to perpetrate an offense under the Act.
On the other hand, section 1(3) of the Act specifies the penalties for such offenses. An individual convicted under this section is liable to imprisonment for a term ranging from a minimum of 7 years to a maximum of 20 years, without the option of a fine.
Li Hui and the company Genting International Co. Limited were charged under section 18 and 27 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, Etc) Act, 2015 (As Amended, 2024).
Section 18 (1) of the Act criminalises acts that involve the use of computer systems or networks to commit, facilitate, or promote terrorist activities and provides life imprisonment as penalty on conviction.
Section 27 stipulates that individuals who attempt to commit, conspire to commit, or assist others in committing offences outlined in the Act are subject to the same penalties as the principal offenders. This includes employees of financial institutions or other organizations who collaborate with others to perpetrate fraud or other cyber offenses using computer systems or networks. The section provides a punishment of two years’ imprisonment, a fine not more than N5 million fine or both on conviction.
Dubbed the largest cybercrime syndicate, EFCC, on 10 December 2024, arrested a group of 792 suspects including Nigerians, Chinese, Arab and Filipino nationals involved in alleged cryptocurrency investment fraud and romance scams.
Briefing journalists about the operation on 16 December, EFCC Director of Public Affairs, Wilson Uwujaren, said operatives arrested the suspects in a “surprise operation” at their hideout at a seven-storey building known as Bigleaf on 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, Victoria Island, Lagos.
Mr Uwujaren said the arrest came after months of surveillance by the EFCC..
“Investigation established that the foreign nationals use the facility at 7, Oyin Jolayemi Street, which could be mistaken for a corporate headquarters of a financial establishment to train their Nigerian accomplices on how to initiate romance and investment scams and also use the identities of Nigerians to perpetrate their criminal activities,” he said.
He added that Nigerians were recruited by foreign nationals to scout for victims online, targeting Americans, Canadians, Mexicans, and several others from European countries. Read More
