Authorities in Argentina have arrested a Nigerian national identified as Ikechukwu N., accused of masterminding a network of international romance scams that defrauded thousands of women.
Gatekeepers News reports that according to a statement released on Tuesday by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), the suspect was captured by the Argentine Federal Police in collaboration with the Airport Security Police, following a global manhunt.
The arrest marks Argentina’s first successful capture of a fugitive listed under both INTERPOL’s Red Notice and Silver Notice alerts, signaling a major milestone in the country’s fight against transnational cybercrime.
INTERPOL revealed that Ikechukwu allegedly headed a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate, coordinating multiple romance scams that targeted women across various countries.
The arrest formed part of Operation Jackal, an INTERPOL-led crackdown on West African organised crime groups involved in cyber fraud, money laundering, and online deception schemes.
Interpol added, “The suspect is accused of orchestrating multiple romance scams involving thousands of women, and leading an international cybercrime network.”
“The operation was carried out by the Argentine Federal Police and Airport Security Police, with support from IFCACC, FIS, and INTERPOL Brazil.”
The Silver Notice initiative, introduced in January 2025, is designed to assist member nations in tracing, freezing, and recovering assets linked to criminal activities — a process that played a key role in Ikechukwu’s arrest.
