A Nigerian who had become a person of interest in an international cyber fraud investigation involving the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been arrested in Ghana following a joint intelligence-led operation by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) and the Ghana Police Service.
The suspect, identified as Aderinsola Oluwanifemi Adeleye, has been arraigned before court over his alleged involvement in a transnational cyber-enabled financial crime syndicate linked to compromised United States-issued bank cards.
According to the Cyber Security Authority, the arrest followed months of intelligence gathering and coordinated investigations conducted in collaboration with the Ghana Police Service, with investigative support and information sharing from INTERPOL and the FBI.
The case began on June 25, 2026, after the manager of Haatso Shell Filling Station reported a complaint from Ecobank Ghana PLC regarding suspicious Point of Sale (POS) transactions carried out using two Citi Bank debit cards issued in the United States.
Investigators traced the unauthorized transactions to POS terminals at Haatso Shell Filling Station and Osu Total Filling Station. Internal investigations by Shell Ghana identified two fuel pump attendants suspected of facilitating the fraudulent transactions.
The attendants were arrested and allegedly told investigators that the suspect and another accomplice had repeatedly visited the Haatso Shell Filling Station to process fraudulent transactions using Citi Bank debit cards through mobile devices.
Later that day, the suspect allegedly returned to the station to conduct another transaction and was identified by the two attendants before being arrested by police.
A search conducted during his arrest led to the recovery of a Beretta pistol loaded with two rounds of 9mm live ammunition and a Citi Bank VISA debit card allegedly used in the fraudulent scheme.
Investigators later searched the offices of AA Global Homes Construction Limited at Katamanso in Accra, where they recovered 15 rounds of live 9mm ammunition and an empty shell casing concealed in a drawer.
Authorities said the suspect had already been under the Cyber Security Authority’s intelligence radar over suspected cyber-enabled financial crimes before his arrest.
Based on intelligence gathered, investigators obtained a court warrant to search his residence at Oyarifa on June 27, where they seized several electronic devices, including two mobile phones believed to have been used in the commission of the alleged offences. The devices have been retained for forensic examination.
During investigations, the suspect allegedly admitted using the recovered Citi Bank debit card to conduct transactions at both Haatso Shell Filling Station and Osu Total Filling Station.
In his cautioned statement, he reportedly told investigators that an individual identified as Gail Oneara, whom he claimed resides in the United States, had sent him the debit card loaded with approximately US$10,000 for his personal use. He further stated that he had already withdrawn or spent about US$8,000 before his arrest.
Further investigations involving Ecobank Ghana confirmed that the bank had received a fraud alert from Citi Bank through VISA International regarding unauthorized transactions on two customers’ debit cards.
Investigators allege that the suspect, together with accomplices still at large, visited several fuel stations where they colluded with fuel attendants to process fictitious fuel purchases using stolen or compromised debit cards. Instead of receiving fuel, the suspect allegedly obtained cash equivalent to the approved transaction amounts.
Authorities also believe the proceeds of the alleged fraud were invested in several assets, including a four-bedroom storey building, a cement block manufacturing factory at Katamanso near Amrahia, a black Nissan ZNA pickup vehicle and other properties suspected to have been acquired with illicit funds.
The Cyber Security Authority said investigations are ongoing to identify and arrest other members of the suspected criminal network, trace additional assets believed to have been purchased with proceeds of crime, and determine the full scale of the alleged fraud.
It added that forensic analysis of the seized electronic devices is expected to provide further evidence on the syndicate’s operations and any international connections.
The accused has since been formally charged and is standing trial before the appropriate court.
The Cyber Security Authority said the case demonstrates the growing sophistication of cyber-enabled financial crimes and highlights the importance of intelligence-led investigations, inter-agency collaboration and international cooperation in combating transnational cybercrime.
Source: 3news.com