Argentine law enforcement authorities have arrested Nigerian national, Ikechukwu N., marking the country’s first-ever apprehension of a fugitive listed under both INTERPOL’s Red Notice and Silver Notice alerts.
A statement released late Tuesday confirmed the milestone arrest, describing it as a significant breakthrough in international criminal cooperation.
According to INTERPOL, the suspect is alleged to be the mastermind behind a vast global cybercrime network, coordinating multiple fraudulent operations targeting individuals across several countries.
“The suspect is accused of orchestrating multiple romance scams involving thousands of women and leading an international cybercrime syndicate,” the report stated.
The arrest was made under Operation Jackal, a global initiative spearheaded by INTERPOL to combat West African organized criminal groups involved in cyber fraud, money laundering, and other transnational crimes.
“The arrest was part of Operation Jackal, an INTERPOL-coordinated initiative targeting West African organized criminal groups,” the statement added.
INTERPOL further revealed that the operation was successfully carried out through the joint efforts of Argentina’s Federal Police and Airport Security, working in collaboration with IFCACC, FIS, and INTERPOL Brazil, as well as other regional and international partners.
“It was carried out by Argentina’s Federal Police and Airport Security, with support from IFCACC, FIS, and INTERPOL Brazil,” the report said.
Officials noted that the arrest also demonstrates the success of a new global tracking system developed to help authorities trace and recover illicit financial assets.
“The Silver Notice pilot project, launched in January 2025, aims to help countries trace and recover criminal assets,” INTERPOL added.
The suspect, now in custody, is under active investigation as authorities work to uncover and repatriate the proceeds of crime linked to his international network.
Meanwhile, in a related report published on September 29, SaharaReporters detailed the arrest of another Nigerian national, 29-year-old Stephane, also known as K Cee Dominic, in Tilak Nagar, West Delhi.
Dominic was accused of defrauding over 100 women across India by posing as a UK-based Korean businessman on a language exchange app.
According to Indian police officials, he gained victims’ trust through fabricated online relationships and subsequently demanded money under false pretenses.
“The accused would claim to be stranded at immigration with large-value cheques or documents pending clearance. Meanwhile, his associates would impersonate officials over phone calls and demand money, which the victim would transfer digitally,” said Deputy Commissioner of Police (Shahdara), Prashant Gautam.
Authorities believe both cases underscore the growing sophistication of romance scams and cyber-enabled fraud networks, often operated across borders with layered digital footprints and financial concealment techniques.
