A suspected
cyber crime syndicate was last Saturday busted by the Achimota Mile 7 Police in
Accra. In all, 29 suspects, all Nigerians, were arrested in an early morning
swoop on a house at Alhaji Tabora in Accra.
Retrieved
from the suspects were 34 laptops and 48 mobile phones they allegedly used in
committing
crimes.
The
suspects are also linked to a dead body that was found wrapped at the Apenkwa
neighbourhood two weeks ago.
The
suspects are aged from 21 to 30.
Another
suspect, Peter Konadu Frimpong, 34, who was on top of a storey building
videoing the police action, was also arrested.
The suspects
Among
the suspects rounded up were Ike Ogu, 24; Ike Iduozi, 23; Blessing Adebayo, 25;
Awudu Abdul Razak, 23; Daley Emmanuel, 26; Moses Madjaki, 30; Onaghnise Osahou,
24; Peter Andrews,25; Benjamin Akumeze, 25; Kelvin Osayi, 23; Oforufemi Adrigu,
25, Anthony Irughe, 22 and Kelvin Uche, 22.
Others
were Timothy Irughe, 22; Elvis Uzeogbu, 24; Owen Zakari, 24; Joe Steve Obozu,
29; Festus Owubu, 25; Abraham Femi, 24; Suleman Abudu, 25; Abraham Femi, 24;
Age Michael, 25; Philip Aghariaha, 25; Nathaniel Owobu, 27; Teddy Atigbin, 23;
Henry Onege, 27; Daniel Ukuokolo, 21; Osas Uhuns, 22; Kelvin Ola, 23, Lucky
Osahou,21 and Yakubu Dido, 26.
Tip-off
Briefing
the Daily Graphic in Accra yesterday, the Accra Regional Police Commander, DCOP
Osabarima Oware Asare Pinkro II, said the police, acting on a tip-off, kept the
house under surveillance before conducting the swoop.
He
said the police met almost all the suspects busily engaged in fraudulent cyber
activities during the swoop around 7 a.m. last Saturday.
“The
suspects were all living in one big house where they undertake their nefarious
activities,” he added.
Link to dead body
On
the dead body found at Apenkwa which was linked to the suspected cyber
fraudsters, DCOP Pinkro said a search on the body revealed that the victim had
been killed somewhere and dumped at the place.
Information
gathered by the police indicated that the deceased was one of the Nigerian
suspects who had gone missing.
“The
information was that he was beaten to death and wrapped and dumped there for
leaking the group’s activities to a third party whom we cannot name. They saw
it as a betrayal. We are investigating this case, in addition to the cyber
crime cases,” he said.
The
suspects will be put before court today, pending further police investigations.
Simultaneous swoop
In
a related development, the Accra Regional Police Command, on March 10, 2017,
simultaneously carried out swoops in all 14 of its divisions in parts of the
city believed to be dens of criminals.
In
the process, 112 suspects were arrested in areas including Adenta, the Odorkor
Market, Kwashieman, Gbawe, Anyaa, Sowutuom and its environs, the Achimota
Charcoal Station, Aborfu, the Santana Market, the Abeka Market, Kissieman,
Akweteman, the Madina Market, the Redco Flats, Madina Zongo, the Madina Lorry Station,
Madina Firestone, Adabraka, Tuobodom at Adabraka, the Obra Spot at the Kwame
Nkrumah Circle and Accra New
Town.
Apart
from the items, including electronic gadgets, retrieved from the suspects, the
police found wrapped substances suspected to be Indian hemp.
At
Accra New Town, for instance, the police collected 179 wrapped dried leaves
suspected to be Indian hemp, 61 wrapped whitish substances suspected to be
narcotic drugs and 65 wrapped rock-like material suspected to be narcotic
drugs.
Danger
Commenting
on the suspected narcotic drugs seized, DCOP Osabarima Pinkro said: “It tells
you the danger of people abusing drugs in the city. This is a contributory
factor to the violent crimes, including murder, suicide and
robbery.”
He
said it was, therefore, important that the police conducted those swoops to get
rid of criminals to make the communities
safer.
“Police
work thrives on information. What we want the public to do is provide us with
information. They should give us information on the hideouts of these
criminals. They know them; they live with some of them. If possible, they
should come to me personally,” he
appealed.
He
urged the public to erase the perception that when they reported crime to the
police, the police would turn around to reveal the identities of the informants
to the criminals.
Source: Graphic.com.gh
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