A Nigerian man, identified as Ikechukwu N., has been apprehended in Argentina for allegedly masterminding a series of online romance scams that defrauded thousands of victims across multiple countries, INTERPOL announced on Tuesday.
The arrest took place under Operation Jackal, an INTERPOL-led initiative targeting West African organised criminal networks engaged in cyber fraud, money laundering, and other transnational crimes.
According to a statement shared on INTERPOL’s official X handle, Ikechukwu’s capture represents a historic first for Argentina, the first time the country has arrested a fugitive under an INTERPOL Red Notice who was also listed in its Silver Notice database.
The Silver Notice programme, launched in January 2025, was created to help member nations trace and recover criminal assets obtained through cross-border crimes.
The statement read, “Argentine authorities have captured Nigerian national Ikechukwu N., marking the country’s first arrest of a #RedNotice fugitive who was also the subject of an INTERPOL Silver Notice. The suspect is accused of orchestrating multiple romance scams involving thousands of women, and leading an international cybercrime network.”
INTERPOL noted that the operation was jointly executed by the Argentine Federal Police and the Airport Security Police, with strategic assistance from the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, the Federal Intelligence Secretariat and INTERPOL Brazil.
While details regarding the victims and total financial losses have not been disclosed, the arrest forms part of an intensified global campaign against cyber-enabled fraud schemes linked to West African syndicates.
Nigeria has also remained under scrutiny in similar investigations. In December 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission reported the arrest of 792 suspects, including foreign nationals, allegedly connected to a crypto-romance fraud network based in Lagos.
The group was said to have targeted victims across the Americas and Europe, luring them through fake relationships and fraudulent investment offers.
INTERPOL confirmed that investigations into Ikechukwu’s network are ongoing, with Argentine and Nigerian authorities expected to collaborate closely alongside other international partners under Operation Jackal.
