- Home
- /
- /
- Article
India map
At least, four Nigerian nationals, including two women, are facing possible jail time and deportation after being arrested in separate incidents across India for crimes ranging from cyberfraud to drug trafficking.
PUNCH Metro gathered from multiple Indian media sources on Thursday that the suspects, identified as Pepe Morepeyi, Gabriel Onyeka, Bamba Fanta, and Abigail Adonis, were apprehended by different law enforcement agencies in the country.
According to a report by The Times of India on Tuesday, Onyeka was arrested by the Vadodara Cyber Crime unit in Maharashtra in connection with a fraud case involving Rs 1.25 crore.
The report stated, “Onyeka had entered India on a medical visa in 2012 and never left, even after his visa expired.
“But what shocked investigators was not just the scale of the fraud; it was the shadowy network of solidarity among cybercrime gangs that he was part of.”
A Cyber Crime police official disclosed, “When we seized Onyeka’s mobile phones, we found several WhatsApp groups used by gang members to stay in constant contact.
“These weren’t casual chats. They exchanged alerts, legal updates, and emergency support messages.”
Inspector Jaydeepsinh Parmar of the Cyber Crime Cell added, “If one of them got arrested or were under investigation, the group would immediately post alerts.
“Legal aid was swiftly arranged, often without gang members ever appearing in person, since many are staying in India illegally.”
Onyeka allegedly headed a criminal ring that pooled funds to cover legal fees and support the families of detained members.
“Lawyers were hired in whichever state a gang member was arrested, keeping operations fluid and decentralised,” the report noted.
More like this
