The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has arrested 21 suspected cybercrime fraudsters during an early-morning operation at Applewood Estate, Orchid Road, in the Lekki area of Lagos State.
The anti-graft agency also recovered five luxury cars during the raid, which was conducted at about 5am on Monday following surveillance and reconnaissance of the suspects’ alleged activities.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, the EFCC spokesperson, Dele Oyewale, said the suspects were allegedly involved in fraudulent schemes targeting unsuspecting victims through gift cards, cryptocurrency transactions and international money transfers.
The commission said preliminary investigations implicated 19 of the 21 people arrested, while the remaining two were released.
According to the EFCC, those found culpable would be arraigned in court.
The agency said the operation was conducted following intelligence gathering and monitoring of the suspects’ activities before the raid.
“The operation, carried out by 5am, yielded the arrest of twenty-one (21) suspected cybercrime fraudsters and five exotic cars,” the statement said.
The commission added that its operatives carried out the arrests after conducting pre-operation surveillance to establish the activities of the suspects.
The EFCC also disclosed that a young woman was temporarily detained after she allegedly made telephone calls to alert the suspects about the operation.
Her mobile phone was confiscated during the exercise but was later returned after the operation ended, according to the commission.
The agency did not disclose the identities of the suspects or provide details about the recovered vehicles and the estimated value of the alleged fraud.
The EFCC reiterated its commitment to tackling economic and financial crimes, urging members of the public to support efforts to combat fraudulent activities.
The commission said the 19 suspects implicated in the preliminary investigation would be taken to court, although the allegations against them have yet to be established through trial.
