Monday, March, 16 2026 - Authorities in India have arrested two Nigerian nationals, Modebe Joseph and Sunday Okonkwo, for their alleged involvement in an international cybercrime syndicate accused of hacking cooperative banks.
The suspects were arrested in Noida, located in Uttar
Pradesh, by the cybercrime unit of the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police
Commissionerate during a coordinated security operation.
According to a report by The Times of India, Joseph, 42, and
Okonkwo, 35, were allegedly working with a cyber threat group identified as
Solar Spider, which reportedly targets financial institutions with weak
cybersecurity infrastructure.
The arrests were carried out through a joint operation
involving officers from the Cyber Crime Police Station alongside other security
agencies.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Shavya Goyal said
investigators believe the suspects are part of a broader international
cybercrime network with links to criminal groups operating in Nigeria and South
Africa.
Goyal explained that during the weekend of March 7-8, the
group allegedly transferred about ₹7 crore, estimated at nearly ₦1 billion,
from a targeted bank account.
According to her, the transaction was carried out over the
weekend when the bank was closed, a strategy believed to have been used to
delay detection and give the suspects time to move the stolen funds.
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