THE International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has confirmed the arrest of a wanted Nigerian national, identified as Ikechukwu N., by Argentine authorities over his alleged involvement in a sophisticated international cybercrime and romance scam syndicate.
In a statement released on its official X handle (formerly Twitter) on Tuesday seen by News Point Nigeria, INTERPOL said the arrest marked a major breakthrough in the fight against West African–linked organised cybercrime.
“Argentine authorities have captured Nigerian national, Ikechukwu N., marking the country’s first arrest of a Red Notice fugitive who was also the subject of an INTERPOL Silver Notice,” the global policing agency said.
According to the update, Ikechukwu had been on INTERPOL’s wanted list for allegedly masterminding multiple romance scams targeting thousands of women across several continents.
He was also accused of leading a transnational cybercrime network responsible for large-scale online financial fraud and money laundering.
INTERPOL disclosed that Ikechukwu’s capture was part of Operation Jackal, a multi-agency crackdown launched in 2025 to dismantle West African–based organised criminal groups involved in cyber-enabled financial fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering.
“The arrest was part of Operation Jackal, an INTERPOL-coordinated initiative targeting West African organised criminal groups. It was carried out by @PFAOficial (Argentina’s Federal Police) and @seguridadpsa, with support from IFCACC, FIS, and INTERPOL Brazil,” the organisation stated.
The police body further revealed that the case also falls under the new Silver Notice initiative — a pilot project launched in January 2025 to help member countries trace, freeze, and recover assets linked to transnational criminal activities.
“The Silver Notice pilot project aims to help countries trace and recover criminal assets,” INTERPOL added.
This latest arrest is part of a wider, sustained international operation against cyber-enabled crime networks originating from or connected to West Africa.
Over the past few years, INTERPOL has intensified efforts under Operation Jackal I, II, and III, which have led to hundreds of arrests, asset seizures, and bank account freezes worldwide.
In August 2024, this newspaper reported that Operation Jackal III resulted in the seizure of $3 million in illicit assets and the freezing of more than 700 bank accounts, targeting members of the Black Axe mafia, a notorious transnational organised crime group linked to online scams, money laundering, and human trafficking.
Similarly, in August 2025, another Nigerian national pleaded guilty in the United States to a romance scam exceeding $405,000, further underscoring the scale and persistence of online fraud linked to syndicates originating from the region.
According to INTERPOL, romance scams, a form of social engineering fraud — have evolved into a multi-billion-dollar global threat, exploiting emotional vulnerabilities to defraud victims of their savings.
Investigators believe that Ikechukwu’s syndicate operated through a network of fake online profiles, money mules, and digital laundering channels, spreading across South America, Europe, and Africa.
Victims, mostly women, were allegedly deceived into sending money under the guise of romantic relationships or investment opportunities, with funds funnelled through multiple international accounts to conceal their origins.
INTERPOL described Ikechukwu’s capture as Argentina’s first-ever arrest of a fugitive wanted under both a Red Notice and the new Silver Notice framework.
The Red Notice alerts member countries about fugitives wanted internationally, while the Silver Notice, launched in 2025, focuses specifically on financial asset recovery and criminal proceeds tracing.
The arrest, therefore, represents a landmark victory in Argentina’s law enforcement collaboration with INTERPOL and a major precedent in using global digital crime coordination tools.
Nigeria has remained under the global spotlight due to the proliferation of cybercrime networks allegedly operating from within and outside the country.
INTERPOL, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) have over the years collaborated to trace illicit funds and dismantle online fraud rings connected to Nigerian nationals operating globally.