The Airport Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old man over his alleged involvement in a large-scale romance fraud estimated at about N48.5 million (approximately $35,000).
The Command\u2019s spokesperson, ASP Mohammed Adeola, disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos, saying the suspect was arrested on Monday while attempting to board a flight to Asaba.
According to Adeola, the arrest was effected by operatives of the Anti-Fraud Unit acting on credible intelligence.
Preliminary findings, he said, indicated that the suspect joined a fraud syndicate in 2023 that specialised in romance scams, targeting unsuspecting victims through social media platforms such as Facebook and Instagram using fabricated profiles and deceptive storylines.
The police alleged that the suspect operated under the alias \u201cTravis Kevin,\u201d posing as a white American medical doctor.
He was also said to have created a fake online banking platform showing false account balances to further deceive victims.
Investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly requested money from victims under the pretext of urgently needing funds for feeding and medical supplies after claiming to have sustained injuries in the course of duty, with assurances that the money would be repaid.
Adeola added that the funds were allegedly requested and transferred through cryptocurrency channels.
He said the Commissioner of Police, Airport Command, Mrs Olufunke Ogunbode, has ordered a comprehensive investigation into the matter and directed operatives to track down and arrest other members of the syndicate.
\u201cThe Commissioner reiterated the command\u2019s zero-tolerance for criminal activities within the aviation environment, noting that airports are critical facilities that must not be used for illegal operations,\u201d Adeola stated.
He also disclosed that the suspect would be handed over to the Interpol unit for further investigation and prosecution.<\/p>\r\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Airport Police Command has arrested a 24-year-old man over his alleged involvement in a large-scale romance fraud estimated at about N48.5 million (approximately $35,000). The Command\u2019s spokesperson, ASP Mohammed Adeola, disclosed this in a statement issued in Lagos, saying the suspect was arrested on Monday while attempting to board a flight to Asaba. According […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1948,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n