One Chimereze Chinedu has been apprehended by the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly defrauding a Thai citizen to the tune of $216,000 and N30m respectively.
Benjamin Hundeyin, the command’s Public Relations Officer disclosed this in a statement via X on Tuesday explaining that the suspect allegedly promised to supply his victim with 37 tricycles which cost $216,000.
The suspect allegedly faked letters from the State Criminal Investigation Department to trick his victim into thinking the police had seized the tricycles in an attempt to extract more money from him.
According to Hundeyin, Chinedu obtained an additional N30 million from the victim using the falsified paperwork, ostensibly in order to secure the release of the impounded tricycles.
He said, “Chimereze defrauded his victim under the pretense of selling 37 tricycles to her. He further expanded his fraudulent activity by forging letters of the State Criminal Investigative Department, Lagos showing that the tricycles were seized by the police and further extorted N30m from the victim to purportedly secure the release of the tricycles.”
The PPRO reported that “the suspect was arrested on May 10, 2024, in Enugu State, following weeks of investigation and collaboration with officials of the International Criminal Police Organization.”
The police spokeswoman emphasized the command’s commitment to fighting online fraud while pointing out that investigations were ongoing to capture the suspect’s accomplices.
