The Financial and Monetary Crimes Fee (EFCC) has defined that its raid on Applewood Property, Orchid Highway, Lekki, Lagos State, was once aimed toward arresting suspected cybercrime operators accused of defrauding unsuspecting sufferers via reward playing cards, cryptocurrency transactions and world cash transfers.
The fee stated the operation adopted surveillance and reconnaissance at the actions of the suspected fraudsters, who allegedly impersonated quite a lot of people to procure cash from their sufferers.
The operation, carried out by way of operatives of the EFCC’s Lagos Directorate 1 at about 5am on Monday, October 26, resulted within the arrest of 21 suspects and the restoration of 5 unique automobiles.
In a observation on Tuesday, the EFCC’s head of media and exposure, Dele Oyewale stated initial investigations had implicated 19 of the arrested suspects, whilst two others were launched.
He added that the nineteen suspects who had been indicted could be arraigned in court docket in an instant.
The fee’s clarification comes amid questions surrounding the operation on the high-profile residential property, with the company insisting that the raid was once in line with intelligence accumulating and was once carried out professionally.
In line with the EFCC, its operatives performed pre-arrest surveillance to ascertain the actions of the suspects earlier than shifting in to apprehend them.
The company stated the suspected fraudsters allegedly used other strategies, together with reward playing cards, cryptocurrency and world cash transfers, to procure cash from unsuspecting sufferers whilst impersonating different people.
The EFCC additionally addressed the cases surrounding the detention of a tender girl all through the operation.
Oyewale stated the lady had tried to alert the suspects by way of making phone calls whilst the operation was once ongoing. Her telephone was once briefly confiscated till the operation was once concluded however was once due to this fact returned to her, the fee stated.
The company maintained that the operation was once carried out with out harassment, intimidation or the illegal arrest of any person.
It additionally suggested Nigerians to strengthen efforts to struggle financial and fiscal crimes, caution that cybercrime actions undermine the rustic’s recognition.
The fee stated it remained open to positive engagement with individuals of the general public however would no longer permit what it described as blackmail and alarmism to frustrate its statutory obligations.
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