Seven Nigerian citizens have been apprehended in Vietnam for allegedly defrauding many people of more than $5.2 million.

They were arrested alongside four Vietnamese suspects, according to a Vietnam-based news website, VN Express.

The newspaper quoted Vietnamese police as saying,

the arrests were the result of investigations triggered by a complaint made in late April by a woman in Hue Town in central Vietnam.

The woman reportedly told the police that she’d been scammed online by a foreigner and ended up losing VND3.9 billion ($168,000).

In tracing the money, the police discovered it had been transferred into different bank accounts and withdrawn from different Automated Teller Machines in Ho Chi Minh City.

After more than 15 days of investigation in HCMC, the police of Thua Thien – Hue Province arrested three Nigerians: Ugochukwu Nnaemeka, 24; Stanley Umed, 29; and Nnaka Frankline, 36. They also arrested three Vietnamese citizens: Ngo Hai Nghi, 24; Vu Ai Linh, 24; and Dao Dang Vu, 33,

it said.

Using testimony collected from these people, the police found and arrested Pham Ngoc Duy, who claimed to have bought bank accounts that he sold to the gang for VND7-8 million ($301-344) each.

Duy also helped this group to withdraw money at the ATMs for a two percent commission.

From what Duy told the police, they detained three more Nigerians: Chukwugekwe Godwin Ajearo, 34; Ugochukuwu Okechukwu Jam, 35; and Ogo Emeka Donal, 35.

Using this modus operandi, they have appropriated VND120 billion ($5.2 million) from many victims across the country. The police have found 71 bank accounts and more than 53 fake identification cards as well as multiple Facebook accounts associated with the crime.

The case is being investigated further,

police said.

Justin Nwosu

Justin Nwosu is the founder and publisher of Flavision. His core interest is in writing unbiased news about Nigeria in particular and Africa in general. He’s a strong adherent of investigative journalism, with a bent on exposing corruption, abuse of power and societal ills.