The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 45-year-old man, Tony Ameachi, in connection with an alleged N2.5 million online fraud involving the sale of deep freezers.
Police also recovered 25 Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards, 25 mobile phones and 16 SIM cards from the suspect during his arrest in Lagos State.
The command’s spokesperson, Oluseyi Babaseyi, disclosed this in a statement, saying Ameachi was arrested in the Ojo area of Lagos on September 22 following an investigation into a fraud complaint.
According to the police, the case began on April 1 when the complainant, a trader who buys and resells deep freezers, responded to an online advertisement offering the appliances for sale.
After contacting the person behind the advertisement and discussing the proposed transaction, the woman transferred N2.5 million into a bank account bearing the name Abdulmoruf Abdulahi to pay for the deep freezers.
However, the goods were not delivered, while the person she had been communicating with subsequently stopped responding to her messages.
The police said detectives traced the transaction during their investigation and eventually arrested Ameachi in Ojo.
A search at the point of arrest, according to the command, led to the recovery of 25 ATM cards, 25 mobile phones, and 16 SIM cards.
“Further investigation established that the suspect allegedly obtained utility bills and newly registered SIM cards from associates, who were directed to use them to open various bank accounts,” Babaseyi said.
He added that the ATM cards were subsequently collected by Ameachi and allegedly used for transactions connected with fraudulent activities.
Police said the recovered phones, ATM cards and SIM cards were being examined to determine their connection to the N2.5 million fraud case and establish whether they had been used in other fraudulent transactions involving additional victims.
Investigators are also working to identify other individuals who may have participated in the alleged scheme.
Babaseyi said the case file and recovered exhibits had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID), Eleweran, Abeokuta, for further investigation.
He added that the suspect would be charged before a court after the investigation is concluded.
