The EFCC said a “sizeable number” of the 77 Nigerian suspects had been arrested, while a further 167 Nigerians had been detained since August for alleged computer-related fraud under ‘Operation Rewired’
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States on Tuesday said they are jointly intensifying investigations into cybercrime networks weeks after the US Government released a wanted list of 77 Nigerian Internet fraud suspects, AFPreports.
A “sweep” operation from May through to September with the EFCC “focused on dismantling the most significant cybercriminal enterprises,” FBI legal attache, Ahamdi Uche, told a joint press briefing in Lagos.
The EFCC said a “sizeable number” of the 77 Nigerian suspects had been arrested, while a further 167 Nigerians had been detained since August for alleged computer-related fraud under ‘Operation Rewired’, coordinated with the FBI.
“Our efforts in coordinating the EFCC/FBI joint operations in Nigeria recorded tremendous successes against the infamous Yahoo Yahooboys.
“We have also recovered from the arrested fraudsters the sum of $169,850 as well as the sum of N92m,” EFCC’s Director of Information, Mohammed Abba, said.
In August, an indictment released by the US Attorney-General’s office in California, revealed 80 people suspected for fraud and money laundering offences amounting to $46m.
77 of the 80 suspects were of Nigerian descent and swiftly condemned by the Nigeria Government.