By SAPA

Four men have been arrested in Gauteng in connection with fraud relating to 419 scams, police said on Thursday.

Colonel Vishnu Naidoo said the men were arrested on Wednesday and Thursday by Interpol members acting on a United States extradition order to arrest Nigerian Ayodele Abrahamm Saliu.

“He (Saliu) is being sought in the United States of America to stand trial of 12 cases including charges of fraud, computer intrusion and identity theft,” Naidoo said in a statement.

“He is accused of being involved in wire fraud, bank fraud, computer intrusion and identity theft which resulted in people being defrauded of an accumulative amount of over US500 000.”

The 419 scam is also known as the lottery scam, and an unsolicited fax, e-mail, or letter from Nigeria or another African country making a proposal, but asking for up-front payment of a fee.

Saliu came to South Africa a month ago, but could not be located as he continuously moved around, said Naidoo.

“On May 29, at 9.30pm, Saliu tried to leave SA from OR Tambo International Airport where our Interpol officers arrested him under the penal code 41(k) of the Criminal Procedure Act,” he said.

“Yesterday, (Wednesday) Interpol members conducted further investigation which led them to three other male Nigerian nationals.”

Naidoo said only one of them could produce his passport. Another had only a copy of his passport and the third said his passport was with a contact who was organising his permanent residency.

“Their cellphones were inspected by one of the police's IT specialist and (they were) found to have messages containing names and bank accounts of people from USA, Canada, UK, Finland, SA and other countries,” said Naidoo.

“Some of the messages were connected to the 419 scam of the value of between R600 000 and R900 000. Other messages on the cellphones were instructions to 'speed up hacking processes'.”

The 419 scams were the largest in the world in terms of monetary losses, the police said on their website. A task team had been set up to investigate them.

Naidoo said a laptop was inspected and police discovered it contained files with 419 scam messages which had been sent around the world.

“The files found on the laptop contained names, addresses, telephone numbers, bank accounts details with amounts in different currencies of different people around the world either used or to be used for fraud and identity theft.”

The files also contained files with internal bank information relating to accounts of various people worldwide.

Saliu appeared in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court for the extradition hearing.

“The case was postponed to June 7 and he remains in custody,” said Naidoo.

The other three men would appear in the Pretoria Commercial Crimes Court on Monday on charges relating to fraud and identity theft.

http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/419-scam-syndicate-busted-1.1309289

More Nairalanders arrested.

This is the type of news i like reading, cage them, they can run but can't hide.

Beaf: More Nairalanders arrested.

Can you hear yourself BRAY?

Beaf: More Nairalanders arrested.

the guy don 4kup, why SA why not run come 9ja

This is good news.....they should even kill him for all i care...gosh !

Bluetooth Saliu

Haba! dis people don catch my dude, dem for wait make him do the last runz nah. its not fair ooo, the guy hustle don over.

Well, as long as they are not elected officials its perfectly okay. Who cares.

This is what has made many countries to be wary of Nigerians.....we are just becoming increasingly shameless in our corrupt tendencies.
People are keeping quiet now, but when you hear that some countries are palnning to deport illegal Nigerian immigrants from their country, some people would start talking nonesense.

If you leave your rotten country to sojourn in another man's country, the least expected of you is to conduct yourself in a decent and law abiding manner!

Heasy monii hungry YYYs!

Beaf: More Nairalanders arrested.

market don fall press them,yahoo group of company no be work oooo.i must hamma syndrome

This shouldn't be news.

That is to say, monkey don go market, but this time e don hang for market... God punish devil..

Choi! They've arrested future house of reps members.

I thought all this scams will expire one day. seems boys always have a way to update and bring out new ways of scamming

mean while waiting for the real Nairalanders to come here . subscribing...

Why is this type of heartless activities not given harsher punishment than that of marijuana selling? It's better to be a "common car spare parts seller" than a heartless and greedy YYYs always sniffing into people's lfeline to destroy it.

Owo palaba won segi,God finish devil.

damn!!..they got caught,, it aint a crime until u are caught!!! And dahz why i still love TOBECHI ENYINNA ONWUHARA...they couldnt catch him....na dis kain mumu guyz dey always derep sharp naija guyz,,wonder why he culdnt jt come home and live large....

ya thats bluetooths real name and now nairalanders are free from tribal molestatn.OLE

holusormi: damn!!..they got caught,, it aint a crime until u are caught!!! And dahz why i still love TOBECHI ENYINNA ONWUHARA...they couldnt catch him....na dis kain mumu guyz dey always derep sharp naija guyz,,wonder why he culdnt jt come home and live large....

Wow you heard of that guy. I heard he was once on FBI most wanted list and they cant find him

Drain out his blood,donate it to the needy & berry his 419 expertise before he transfer it to the next generation. This Nigeria man sef,but Y?

Sky-walker:



Wow you heard of that guy. I heard he was once on FBI most wanted list and they cant find him

Yes ooo..d nigger is a moafeckin genius!!!

If it ws u,i wld run come naija??guess u r one of dem spoiling d image of naija

Akpu.Nku:
the guy don 4kup, why SA why not run come 9ja

Whatever makes you happy,it's not a news that YYY BUSINESS where your folks show their "power" if you like type all the igbo name you can think of, the fact remains ALHJI AYODELE SALIU and his gang of YYY scammers are taken off the street, and we know how your likes are obsessed with thiefing other innocent people's IDs to carry out your criminal activities, who knows maybe your "tobechi" could be one of those stolen identities by your scamming terror folks. Shame on you!

holusormi: damn!!..they got caught,, it aint a crime until u are caught!!! And dahz why i still love TOBECHI ENYINNA ONWUHARA...they couldnt catch him....na dis kain mumu guyz dey always derep sharp naija guyz,,wonder why he culdnt jt come home and live large....

Whatever makes you happy,it's not a news that YYY BUSINESS where your folks show their "power" if you like type all the igbo name you can think of, the fact remains ALHJI AYODELE SALIU and his gang of YYY scammers are taken off the street, and we know how your likes are obsessed with thiefing other innocent people's IDs to carry out your criminal activities, who knows maybe your "tobechi" could be one of those stolen identities by your scamming terror folks. Shame on you!

Soyedele1: If it ws u,i wld run come naija??guess u r one of dem spoiling d image of naija

Shut the 4cuk with u, id.ot

Take it or leave it. There are much more Y boys than u can possibly imagine. Its up to u to accept money if them offer u. Abi.

Hustle fell their hands. Same with all of you wey dey Alaba dey burn pirated softwares etc. And also same with you pple wey dey buy Adobe Premiere Pro for 100 Naira.

We are all affected.

the hunter now the hunted

Wow,I am popping a champaign...
Wipe them all off the surface of the earth as they are pests in our society and a threat to our existence.

Beaf: More Nairalanders arrested.

HAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHAH