By Joshua Tosin Ogunsakin 
The International Criminal Police Organisation has confirmed the arrest of a wanted Nigerian, identified as Ikechukwu N., by the Argentine authorities.
INTERPOL, in an update on its X handle on Tuesday, disclosed that Ikechukwu had been on its wanted list for allegedly orchestrating multiple romance scams involving thousands of women.
The suspect was also accused of leading an international cybercrime network.
The notice read, “Argentine authorities have captured Nigerian national Ikechukwu N., marking the country’s first arrest of a Red Notice 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.”
According to the police organisation, Ikechukwu’s arrest was part of a special operation begun in 2025 aimed at helping countries trace and recover criminal assets.
“The arrest was part of Operation Jackal, an INTERPOL-coordinated initiative targeting West African organised criminal groups. It was carried out by @PFAOficial and @seguridadpsa, with support from IFCACC, FIS, and INTERPOL Brazil.
“The Silver Notice pilot project, launched in January 2025, aims to help countries trace and recover criminal assets,” the notice added.
This is not the first time INTERPOL has executed similar crackdowns on cyber-enabled criminal networks operating from West Africa. It follows an ongoing international crackdown on cybercrime networks operated by West African syndicates, including recent arrests in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia linked to similar fraud operations.
The Punch reported in August 2024 that Operation Jackal III led to the seizure of $3m in illicit assets and the freezing of over 700 bank accounts as authorities sought to dismantle the cybercrime arm of the Black Axe mafia.
Similarly, in August 2025, The Punch reported that a Nigerian man pleaded guilty to a US romance scam involving more than $405,000, showing the prevalence of such fraud schemes involving Nigerian suspects.
These cases illustrate a pattern of transnational cybercrime targeting vulnerable victims via romance fraud and demonstrate INTERPOL’s sustained focus on curbing such syndicates globally.
The Punch