KEY POINTS
- Nigerian and Ghanaian authorities arrested 28 suspects during a coordinated international operation targeting online fraud networks.
- Authorities in Ghana identified 117 suspected trafficking victims awaiting repatriation to Nigeria.
- Investigators seized electronic devices in Delta State and near Accra.
- Technology companies reported removing more than 3.7 million fraudulent accounts, pages and groups.
- Authorities identified more than $11 million in potentially freezable funds, which does not mean the money has been recovered.
MAIN STORY
Law enforcement agencies in Nigeria and Ghana arrested 28 suspects and identified 117 suspected human trafficking victims during an international operation targeting online fraud networks operating across West Africa, according to announcements by the United States Department of Justice and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA).
The operation, known as Joint Disruption Week, ran from October 6 to October 9, with investigators and technology companies sharing intelligence to identify suspected scam centres, disrupt fraudulent online accounts and support arrests.
In a statement published on Tuesday, October 13, the US Department of Justice said Nigerian authorities arrested nine people, while Ghanaian authorities arrested 19 in Sasaabi, near Accra. The Ghana operation also resulted in the seizure of 303 electronic devices and the identification of 117 trafficking victims awaiting repatriation to Nigeria.
The NCA said the Nigerian arrests took place across Delta State, where officers seized six laptops, 35 mobile phones and 12 routers.
The Ghana operation was led by the country’s Cyber Security Authority, with support from the Ghana Police Service, the NCA, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, among other agencies.
Assistant US Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division commended the officers involved and said collaboration between law enforcement and private companies had helped disrupt the networks.
The US Justice Department said participating technology companies reported removing more than 3.7 million accounts, pages and groups used to target people in the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries.
The companies also shared leads on more than 30 suspected scam centres with law enforcement. According to the department, the information contributed to arrests, cryptocurrency seizures and the identification of trafficking victims.
The department said private-sector partners identified more than $11 million in potentially freezable funds connected to suspected fraudulent operations. The figure represents funds identified as potentially eligible for freezing, not money confirmed as recovered or permanently confiscated.
The schemes targeted by investigators included cryptocurrency investment fraud, impersonation of law enforcement officers, digital arrest extortion and other online scams.
US Attorney Jeanine Ferris Pirro, who leads the Scam Center Strike Force in Washington, said international cooperation was necessary to pursue criminal networks operating across borders.
The NCA also reported that earlier enforcement activity in Ghana had uncovered people suspected of being trafficking victims who may have been coerced into participating in fraud. The agency said some victims were identified after being taken into custody because they were suspected of involvement in criminal activity.
The US Justice Department said participating agencies intended to continue working with private-sector partners to disrupt online fraud infrastructure and pursue those responsible for transnational scams.
THE ISSUES
The operation highlights the overlap between online fraud and human trafficking. Some suspected scam centres rely on people who may have been recruited or transported under false pretences and then coerced into carrying out fraudulent activities.
The identification of 117 suspected trafficking victims in Ghana is therefore distinct from the arrests of the 19 suspects there. The authorities have not said that every person found at the locations was involved in criminal activity, and suspected victims should not be treated as offenders merely because they were found at a scam centre.
The removal of millions of online accounts also illustrates the role technology companies can play in disrupting fraud. However, account removals alone do not establish that every affected account was linked to a criminal offence, nor do they replace investigations and prosecutions against individuals suspected of operating the networks.
The $11 million in potentially freezable funds is another important distinction. Identifying money that could potentially be frozen does not establish that authorities have seized it, recovered it for victims or obtained a court order for its confiscation.
For Nigeria, the operation also raises the importance of cooperation with foreign authorities in identifying trafficking victims, investigating suspected cybercrime and arranging the return of Nigerian citizens from abroad.
WHAT’S BEING SAID
“I am especially grateful to the courageous law enforcement officers in Ghana and Nigeria” said A. Tysen Duva, assistant attorney general of the US Justice Department’s Criminal Division.
WHAT’S NEXT
Authorities are expected to continue investigating the suspected networks, examining seized devices and following financial leads generated by the operation. The return of the 117 identified trafficking victims to Nigeria will also require coordination between the relevant authorities.
Further enforcement action will depend on the evidence gathered, the identification of additional suspects and the ability of investigators to trace funds linked to the suspected scams.
BOTTOM LINE
The international operation resulted in 28 arrests in Nigeria and Ghana, the seizure of electronic devices and the identification of 117 suspected trafficking victims in Ghana. Authorities and technology companies also disrupted millions of online accounts and identified funds that may be eligible for freezing, although that amount has not been confirmed as recovered.
