The Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Ikoyi, Lagos, has arrested a suspected member of a cybercrime syndicate allegedly involved in a sophisticated fraud scheme that led to the diversion of over ₦3 billion from a financial institution.
The suspect, identified as Adeleke Hafees, was apprehended following a painstaking investigation into a cyber intrusion in which members of the syndicate allegedly used Point of Sale (POS) terminals and other technological means to gain unauthorized access to the institution’s database. The breach enabled the suspects to initiate fraudulent transactions running into billions of naira.
According to the PSFU, investigations revealed that the proceeds of the crime were swiftly laundered through multiple bank accounts in a deliberate attempt to conceal the source and movement of the funds. Detectives deployed advanced digital forensic tools and financial intelligence techniques to trace the illicit transactions, identify members of the syndicate, and recover critical evidence to support prosecution.
Commissioner of Police, CP Eloho Edwin Okpoiakpo, commended the professionalism and dedication of the investigating team in unraveling the complex fraud scheme. He urged officers to intensify efforts to track down other members of the syndicate who remain at large, assuring that the Unit would leave no stone unturned in bringing all those involved to justice.
The police said investigations are ongoing, with efforts focused on apprehending the remaining suspects and strengthening the case for prosecution.
