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Ghanaian police operatives have arrested a Nigerian, Aderinsola Oluwanifemi Adeleye, who is wanted by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).
Adeleye has since been arraigned before a Ghanaian court after investigators linked him to an alleged cyber-enabled financial crime syndicate that used compromised debit cards issued by a bank in the United States (US) to carry out fraudulent Point-of-Sale (POS) transactions at several fuel stations across the country.
According to Ghanaian authorities, the investigation began after a complaint was received about suspicious transactions processed through POS terminals at selected fuel stations in Accra.
Investigators said the transactions were traced to Citibank debit cards issued in the US, prompting a joint investigation involving local and international law enforcement agencies.
Preliminary investigations found that two fuel station attendants allegedly assisted Adeleye and another suspect in processing the fraudulent transactions.
The attendants reportedly told investigators that Adeleye regularly visited the stations and used bank cards linked to mobile devices to authorise fictitious fuel purchases, then collected cash instead of fuel.
Police said Adeleye was arrested after returning to one of the filling stations to carry out another transaction. During a search, officers allegedly recovered a Citibank Visa debit card and a Beretta pistol loaded with two rounds of live ammunition.
A subsequent search linked to the suspect in Katamanso reportedly uncovered additional live ammunition and an empty shell casing concealed in an office drawer. Police said the recovered items have been retained as exhibits.
Investigators later obtained a court-authorised search warrant for Adeleye’s residence in Oyarifa, where they seized several electronic devices, including mobile phones believed to be relevant to the investigation. The devices are expected to undergo forensic examination.
During questioning, Adeleye reportedly told investigators that the Citibank card had been sent to him by an acquaintance in the US.
He claimed the card contained about $10,000 and admitted to spending or withdrawing approximately $8,000 before his arrest.
Police believe Adeleye and accomplices who remain at large operated a scheme in which fraudulent purchases were processed through POS terminals before cash equivalent to the fake transactions was handed over, enabling the group to unlawfully obtain funds linked to compromised bank cards.
