Friday, July 3, 2026 - A Nigerian national wanted by the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has been arrested in Ghana following a joint intelligence-led operation involving the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), the Ghana Police Service, the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and other international law enforcement partners over an alleged cross-border financial fraud scheme.
The suspect, Aderinsola Oluwanifemi Adeleye, has since been
arraigned before a Ghanaian court after investigators linked him to an alleged
cyber-enabled financial crime syndicate accused of using compromised debit
cards issued by a U.S. bank to carry out fraudulent Point of Sale (POS)
transactions at several fuel stations across the country.
Authorities said the investigation was launched after a
complaint was received regarding suspicious transactions processed through POS
terminals at selected fuel stations in Accra.
The transactions were reportedly traced to Citi Bank debit
cards issued in the United States, prompting a coordinated probe involving
local and international security agencies.
Investigators say preliminary findings led to the arrest of
two fuel pump attendants, who allegedly admitted assisting the suspect and
another individual in processing fraudulent transactions.
According to investigators, the pair claimed Adeleye
frequently visited the stations and used bank cards connected to mobile devices
to authorise fake fuel purchases before receiving cash instead of fuel.
Police later arrested Adeleye when he allegedly returned to
one of the filling stations to carry out another transaction.
During a search conducted at the scene, officers reportedly
recovered a Citi Bank VISA debit card and a Beretta pistol loaded with two
rounds of live ammunition.
A subsequent search of premises linked to the suspect at
Katamanso in Accra allegedly uncovered additional live ammunition and an empty
shell casing concealed inside an office drawer.
The recovered items have been retained by investigators as evidence while inquiries continue into their origin and possible use.
Security officials disclosed that Adeleye had already been under surveillance by the Cyber Security Authority as part of an ongoing intelligence operation targeting cyber-enabled financial crimes before his arrest.
Further investigations involving Ecobank Ghana reportedly
confirmed that the bank had received fraud alerts through VISA International
relating to unauthorised transactions on Citi Bank customer debit cards.
Investigators believe the suspect and accomplices still at
large operated a scheme in which fraudulent purchases were processed through
POS terminals before cash equivalent to the fake transactions was handed over,
allowing the group to unlawfully obtain funds linked to compromised bank cards.
Law enforcement agencies also suspect that proceeds from the
alleged fraud were used to acquire several assets, including a four-bedroom
house, a cement block manufacturing business, a pickup vehicle, and other
properties that investigators believe may represent proceeds of crime.
Authorities say efforts are ongoing to trace additional
assets, identify and arrest other members of the suspected criminal network,
and analyse electronic evidence recovered during the investigation to determine
the full extent of the alleged operation and any international connections.
The case remains before the courts, and Aderinsola
Oluwanifemi Adeleye has been charged but has not been convicted.
Under Ghanaian law, he is presumed innocent unless and until
proven guilty in court.
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