Cape Town – The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) reportedly arrested a Nigerian national this week, in connection with over R196 million in alleged online romance scams and business fraud.
The alleged cybercrime kingpin, James Aliyu, was arrested at a Sandton estate on Wednesday, reports said.
Aliyu appeared at the Randburg Magistrate Court shortly after his arrest.
The Citizen said Interpol, the US department of homeland security investigation and the US Secret Service had been investigating Aliyu’s online crimes for the past six years.
Aliyu was suspected to be the leader of an international syndicate of fraudsters, the report said.
He was reportedly known on Instagram for flaunting his lavish lifestyle and excessive spending, including lavish holidays for his girlfriend.
Aliyu had allegedly been in contact with a number of major convicted and suspected fraudsters from around the world, reported TimesLive.
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The report said that with the criminal activity proceeds, he allegedly bought a fleet of luxury vehicles, a Porche Cayenne, a Mercedes C220d and a Mercedes-Benz G Class luxury SUV and spent on luxury island resorts and expensive holidays in Dubai and the US.
The report said that Aliyu was no stranger to criminal controversy. In 202o the SA Reserve Bank seized R231 000 from Aliyu’s Standard Bank account under the Exchange Control Regulation 22 E.
The Nigerian national first came up in the news when he alleged that Actress Khanyi Mbua’s boyfriend Terrence Kudzai Mushonga defrauded him of R1.2 million, reported Sunday World.
The report said Aliyu allegedly bought a Merc for R720 000 and the Jaguar for R500 000 from Mushonga and both cars were allegedly hijacked and stolen by criminals Aliyu claimed worked for Mushonga.
In response to the allegations, Mushonga said he would not pay Aliyu because the money he gave him was attained fraudulently and that Aliy was wanted by the FBI for scamming Americans millions of rand, the report said.
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Compiled by Olwethu Mpeshe
