A major intelligence-led operation involving the Cyber Security Authority (CSA), the Ghana Police Service, and international law enforcement agencies has resulted in the arrest and prosecution of a Nigerian national wanted in connection with suspected transnational cyber-enabled financial crimes linked to compromised United States banking cards.
Authorities described the arrest as a significant breakthrough in efforts to combat cross-border cybercrime, following months of intelligence gathering and coordinated investigations involving the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
The suspect, identified as Aderinsola Oluwanifemi Adeleye, who resides at Oyarifa in Accra and operates a cement block manufacturing business, has been arraigned before court over his alleged involvement in fraudulent Point of Sale (POS) transactions carried out at several fuel stations across Ghana.
According to investigators, the case was triggered on June 25, 2026, after the manager of Haatso Shell Filling Station reported that Shell Headquarters had received a complaint from Ecobank Ghana PLC regarding suspicious transactions conducted with two Citi Bank debit cards issued in the United States.
Investigations traced the unauthorized transactions to POS terminals at Haatso Shell Filling Station and Osu Total Filling Station. Internal inquiries by Shell Ghana identified two fuel pump attendants, who were subsequently arrested.
During police interrogation, the attendants allegedly disclosed that Adeleye and another accomplice repeatedly visited the filling station and used compromised Citi Bank debit cards through mobile devices to process fraudulent transactions.
Later that evening, the suspect allegedly returned to Haatso Shell Filling Station to carry out another transaction and was identified by the attendants before being arrested by police.
A search conducted during the arrest led to the recovery of a Beretta pistol loaded with two rounds of 9mm ammunition and a Citi Bank VISA debit card. A subsequent search at the offices of AA Global Homes Construction Limited at Katamanso uncovered an additional 15 rounds of live 9mm ammunition and an empty shell casing concealed in a drawer.
Acting on intelligence gathered by the Cyber Security Authority, investigators later obtained a court-issued search warrant to search the suspect’s residence at Oyarifa. The operation, conducted on June 27, resulted in the seizure of several electronic devices, including two mobile phones believed to have been used in the alleged cyber fraud scheme. The devices have been retained for forensic examination.
Police say the suspect admitted using the recovered Citi Bank debit card at both Haatso Shell and Osu Total filling stations. In his cautioned statement, he claimed the card had been sent to him by an individual identified as Gail Oneara, who he alleged resides in the United States, with an available balance of approximately US$10,000. He further admitted to using about US$8,000 from the account before his arrest.
Authorities further believe the proceeds were used to acquire significant assets, including a four-bedroom storey building, a cement block manufacturing factory at Katamanso near Amrahia, a black Nissan ZNA pick-up vehicle, and other properties suspected to have been purchased with illicit funds.
