The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have arrested three Nigerians over alleged internet fraud.
Interpol, in a statement published on its website, said the suspects allegedly used a malicious Remote Access Trojan (RAT) to steal confidential online details from corporate organisations.
The affected corporate organisations were said to be located in southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
According to Interpol, the suspects were arrested in a sting operation codenamed — Killer Bee — conducted in the Ajegunle axis of Lagos and Benin, Edo state.
The agency disclosed that Hendrix Omorume, one of the suspects, was charged with three counts of serious financial fraud and has been sentenced to one-year imprisonment.
Speaking on the arrest, Craig Jones, Interpol’s director of cybercrime, said millions could have been lost if Interpol had not alerted the EFCC.
“Through its global police network and constant monitoring of cyberspace, INTERPOL had the globally sourced intelligence needed to alert Nigeria to a serious security threat where millions could have been lost without swift police action,” Jones said.
“Further arrests and prosecutions are foreseen across the world as intelligence continues to come in and investigations unfold.”
On his part, Abdulkarim Chukkol, EFCC director of operations, said the commission partners Interpol to keep pace with new technologies and understand how they are being used by criminals.
“Cybercrime is spreading at a fast pace, with new trends constantly emerging. Through operations like Killer Bee, INTERPOL partners EFCC to keep pace with new technologies and understand the possibilities they create for criminals and how they can be used as tools for fighting cybercrime,” Chukkol said.
“The enforcement actions led by Nigeria and coordinated by INTERPOL send a clear message that cybercrime will have serious repercussions for those involved in business email compromise fraud, particularly in Nigeria.”
