Officials in India have detained two Nigerian citizens, Modebe Joseph and Sunday Okonkwo, for their purported participation in an international cybercrime ring accused of infiltrating cooperative banks.
The individuals were apprehended in Noida, situated in Uttar Pradesh, by the cybercrime division of the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate during a synchronized security operation.
As per a report from The Times of India, Joseph, aged 42, and Okonkwo, 35, were allegedly associated with a cyber threat organization known as Solar Spider, which reportedly targets financial establishments with inadequate cybersecurity measures.
The detentions were executed through a collaborative operation involving personnel from the Cyber Crime Police Station along with various security entities.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Shavya Goyal stated that investigators suspect the individuals are constituents of a larger international cybercrime network with connections to criminal organizations operating in Nigeria and South Africa.
Goyal clarified that during the weekend of March 7-8, the group reportedly transferred approximately ₹7 crore, estimated to be nearly ₦1 billion, from a compromised bank account.
According to her, the transaction was conducted over the weekend when the bank was not operational, a tactic believed to have been employed to hinder detection and allow the suspects time to relocate the embezzled funds.
