27-05-2025
Nigerian national's arrest unveils underground cyber crime syndicate
Vadodara: Behind the screen of cybercrime lies a well-oiled network — tight-knit, organized, and ready to protect its own. Recent investigations into a Rs 1.25 crore fraud case have exposed how Nigerian cybercriminals operating illegally in India run sophisticated support systems to evade the law.
The case began with the arrest of Gabriel Onyeka, a Nigerian national picked up by Vadodara Cyber Crime police from Maharashtra, months after a cheating complaint was lodged against him. 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.
"When we seized Onyeka's mobile phones, we found several WhatsApp groups — used by gang members to stay in constant contact," said a Cyber Crime police official. "These weren't casual chats. They exchanged alerts, legal updates and emergency support messages."
Inspector Jaydeepsinh Parmar of the Cyber Crime Cell explained how the system worked: "If one of them got arrested or was under investigation, the group would immediately post alerts.
Legal aid was swiftly arranged — often without the gang members ever appearing in person, since many are staying in India illegally."
The network goes further. Members pooled money to pay legal fees and also supported the families of those in custody. Lawyers were hired in whichever state a gang member was arrested, keeping operations fluid and decentralized.
Police say Onyeka was running his own gang, orchestrating high-value cyber frauds. His case has now opened a wider probe into a web of Nigerian cybercrime syndicates that have embedded themselves in Indian cities, operating under the radar with alarming coordination.
Investigators are now following the digital trail to identify and apprehend other gang members believed to be involved in similar frauds across the country.
