A Nigerian who was wanted in an international cyber fraud investigation involving the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), has been arrested in Ghana following a collaborative intelligence-led operation by the Cyber Security Authority (CSA) and the Ghana Police Service.
The individual, named Aderinsola Oluwanifemi Adeleye, has been brought before the court concerning his alleged participation in a transnational cyber-enabled financial crime syndicate associated with compromised bank cards issued in the United States.
As reported by the Cyber Security Authority, the arrest was the result of several months of intelligence gathering and coordinated investigations carried out in partnership with the Ghana Police Service, with investigative support and information sharing from INTERPOL and the FBI.
The investigation commenced on June 25, 2026, when the manager of Haatso Shell Filling Station lodged a complaint with Ecobank Ghana PLC regarding suspicious Point of Sale (POS) transactions executed using two Citi Bank debit cards issued in the United States.
Investigators traced the unauthorised transactions to POS terminals located at Haatso Shell Filling Station and Osu Total Filling Station.
Internal enquiries by Shell Ghana revealed two fuel pump attendants suspected of facilitating the fraudulent transactions.
The attendants were taken into custody and reportedly informed investigators that the suspect, along with another accomplice, had frequently visited the Haatso Shell Filling Station to execute fraudulent transactions using Citi Bank debit cards via mobile devices.
Later that same day, the suspect allegedly returned to the station to perform another transaction and was recognised by the two attendants before being apprehended by the police.
A search conducted at the time of his arrest resulted in the recovery of a Beretta pistol loaded with two rounds of 9mm live ammunition and a Citi Bank VISA debit card purportedly utilised in the fraudulent operation.
Investigators subsequently searched the offices of AA Global Homes Construction Limited, located in Katamanso, Accra, where they discovered 15 rounds of live 9mm ammunition and an empty shell casing hidden within a drawer.
Authorities indicated that the suspect had previously been on the Cyber Security Authority’s intelligence radar due to suspected cyber-enabled financial crimes before his arrest.
Utilising the intelligence gathered, investigators secured a court warrant to search his residence in Oyarifa on June 27, where they confiscated multiple electronic devices, including two mobile phones believed to have been utilised in the commission of the alleged offenses. These devices have been retained for forensic analysis.
During the investigation, the suspect purportedly confessed to using the recovered Citibank debit card to conduct transactions at both Haatso Shell Filling Station and Osu Total Filling Station.
In his cautioned statement, he allegedly informed investigators that an individual named Gail Oneara, whom he claimed resides in the United States, had sent him the debit card preloaded with approximately US$10,000 for his personal use. He further claimed that he had already withdrawn or spent around US$8,000 before his arrest.
Further investigations by Ecobank Ghana confirmed that the bank had received a fraud alert from Citibank via Visa International regarding unauthorised transactions on two customers’ debit cards.
Investigators assert that the suspect, along with accomplices who remain at large, visited various fuel stations where they colluded with fuel attendants to process fictitious fuel purchases using stolen or compromised debit cards. Instead of receiving fuel, the suspect allegedly obtained cash equivalent to the approved transaction amounts.
Authorities also suspect that the proceeds from the alleged fraud were allocated to various assets, which include a four-bedroom storey building, a cement block manufacturing factory located in Katamanso near Amrahia, a black Nissan ZNA pickup vehicle, and other properties believed to have been acquired through illicit means.
The Cyber Security Authority stated that investigations are still in progress to identify and apprehend additional members of the suspected criminal network, trace further assets thought to have been purchased with the proceeds of crime, and assess the full extent of the alleged fraud.
It further noted that forensic analysis of the confiscated electronic devices is anticipated to yield additional evidence regarding the syndicate’s activities and any potential international links.
The accused has been formally charged and is currently undergoing trial in the appropriate court.
The Cyber Security Authority emphasised that this case illustrates the increasing sophistication of cyber-enabled financial crimes and underscores the necessity of intelligence-led investigations, inter-agency collaboration, and international cooperation in the fight against transnational cybercrime.
