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.
Following the arrest, investigators obtained a court-approved search warrant to search the suspect’s residence at Oyarifa, where several electronic devices, including mobile phones believed to be relevant to the investigation, were seized for forensic examination.
According to investigators, Adeleye admitted using one of the recovered debit cards to carry out transactions at the filling stations. He reportedly told investigators that the card had been sent to him by an acquaintance based in the United States and claimed it contained approximately US$10,000, of which he had allegedly spent or withdrawn about US$8,000 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.
