Headline

INTERPOL Arrests 36 In Nigeria Criminal Raid, Recovers $3m

Published

6 months ago

February 11, 2025

The International Criminal Police Organisation says it arrested no fewer than 36 suspects for offences bordering on fraud and human trafficking in a coordinated operation with security agencies in Nigeria.

It was learnt from a statement obtained on the INTERPOL’s website on Monday that the operation also led to the recovery of $3m among other exhibits.

According to the statement, three of the suspects were arrested for alleged sextortion, while the majority of other suspects were arrested for cyber fraud activities.

It read, “In a major blow to organized crime, 12 different Nigerian law enforcement agencies, supported by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, have launched a sweeping operation that has resulted in the arrests of 36 individuals and seizures worth USD 3 million.

“Following two months of preparation, national authorities carried out increased border checks, targeted raids at identified hotspots and followed up on actionable leads over five operational days.

“Most arrests were made for cyber-enabled fraud and the vast majority of the detained suspects were under the age of 35, reflecting a trend of greater youth involvement in organised crime.

“Among the crimes uncovered, common tactics included ‘romance baiting’, in which criminals cultivate online relationships to manipulate victims into investing or transferring their money; investment and cryptocurrency scams, where perpetrators lure victims into fictitious financial schemes; and celebrity scams, which involve the impersonation of well-known figures to solicit money from fans. Three of the arrests were for sextortion, where the suspects were extorting money from victims to prevent the release of compromising or explicit material.”

The statement also noted that exhibits, including kilogrammes of cocaine, cannabis, cars and ammunition, were recovered during the operation.

“Notable seizures from the operation included 19kg of cocaine, valued at $2.8m; 51kg of cannabis; five cars; two weapons; and 215 rounds of ammunition. The action days also exposed cases of human trafficking, with the identification of 12 victims who had been lured abroad with promises of work but were instead forced into sexual exploitation or forced labour.

“The investigation led to the arrest of a female recruiter, who had posed as a victim to evade detection, and the seizure of USD 16,000 from her account.”

Reacting to the operation, INTERPOL’s acting Executive Director of Police Services, Cyril Gout, stressed the expansionist tendencies of organised criminal groups and the need to combat its global threat.

“West African Organised Crime Groups are considered to be among the most aggressive and expansionist criminal groups for their involvement in a broad range of illegal activities, from people smuggling, human trafficking, extortion and kidnapping to oil theft, cybercrime and money laundering.

“The success of this operation underscores the critical importance of sustained, multi-agency collaboration in disrupting these networks. By working together, at a national and international level we can effectively combat this global threat and bring justice to those affected by these crimes,” Gout said.
(PUNCH)

Headline

We’ll Deny You Visa If You’re Traveling To Give Birth, US Tells Nigerians

Published

2 days ago

July 28, 2025

Editor

The United States Mission in Nigeria has warned Nigerians planning to travel to the US primarily to give birth to secure American citizenship for their children.

In a post on X, the US Mission stated that using a visa for the main purpose of childbirth is prohibited under US immigration policy.

“Using your visa to travel for the primary purpose of giving birth in the United States so that your child will have U.S. citizenship is not permitted. Consular officers will deny your visa application if they have reason to believe this is your intent,” the US Mission said.

This warning is coming following the rising scrutiny of visa applications and growing enforcement around what is informally referred to as “birth tourism”, the practice of traveling to the US to give birth so the child obtains automatic citizenship.

Recall that the United States Department of State had also revised its visa reciprocity policy, announcing that most non-immigrant, non-diplomatic visas issued to Nigerian citizens will now be single-entry visas with a three-month validity period.

The US maintained that its visa policies are based on global technical and security benchmarks aimed at protecting the integrity of its immigration systems.

Headline

Three Dead, Several Injured As Train Derails In Germany

Published

3 days ago

July 28, 2025

Editor

Rescue forces work at the site of a derailed train near Riedlingen on July 27, 2025. (Photo by Thomas Warnack / dpa / AFP) / Germany OUT / GERMANY OUT

Three people were killed and several others injured when a regional passenger train derailed in a wooded area in southwestern Germany on Sunday, police said.

About 100 passengers were aboard the train, when the accident occurred at around 6:10 pm (1610 GMT) near the town of Riedlingen in Baden-Wuerttemberg state.

Contacted by AFP, police initially said four people had been killed before correcting their statement to three victims.

Authorities declined to elaborate on the number of injured or how seriously hurt they were, though tabloid Bild cited emergency workers saying there were 50 injured.

German rail operator Deutsche Bahn confirmed several deaths and numerous injured. Two train carriages had derailed “for reasons yet unknown”, it added.

Authorities were currently investigating the circumstances of the accident, the operator said, and traffic had been suspended over a 40-kilometre (25-mile) stretch of the route.

German media reported that a landslide might have caused the accident as severe storms swept through the region, according to weather services.

The passenger train was travelling from the German town of Sigmaringen to the city of Ulm when it derailed in a forested area.

– Outdated train infrastructure –

In a post on social media, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz expressed his condolences to the families of those killed.

He added that he was in close contact with both the interior and transport ministers, and had asked them to “provide the emergency services with all the support they need”.

Footage from the scene of the accident showed yellow-and-grey-coloured train carriages lying on their sides, as firefighters and emergency services tried to get to the passengers.

According to local TV station SWR, helicopters arrived shortly after the accident to transport the injured to hospitals in the area, and emergency doctors from nearby hospitals were alerted.

German transport is regularly criticised by passengers for its outdated infrastructure, with travellers facing frequent train delays, and various technical problems.

The government has pledged to invest several hundred billion euros over the next few years, in particular to modernise infrastructure.

In June 2022, a train derailed near a Bavarian Alpine resort in southern Germany, killing four people and injuring dozens.

Germany’s deadliest rail accident happened in 1998 when a high-speed train operated by state-owned Deutsche Bahn derailed in Eschede in Lower Saxony, killing 101 people.

AFP

Headline

Man Stabs 11 People At Walmart Store In US

Published

3 days ago

July 28, 2025

Editor

At least 11 people were injured in a stabbing at a Walmart store in the Midwestern state of Michigan on Saturday, with police saying it appeared to be a random attack.

A 42-year-old male suspect was in custody, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea told a press conference.

“Based on the information that we have at this time, it appears they were random acts,” Shea said of the attack in Traverse City, Michigan.

“The victims were not predetermined,” Shea said, adding that the suspect, a Michigan resident, apparently acted alone and used a “folding knife.”

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Six victims were in critical condition late Saturday, and five were in serious condition, Munson Healthcare said in a statement.

At least three of the victims were undergoing surgery, according to Shea. The victims included six men and five women.

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was in touch with law enforcement regarding the “horrible news.”

“Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence,” Whitmer said in an X post.

Eyewitness Julia Martell told The New York Times she heard screaming and saw a man with a knife running through the store’s pharmacy section.

Martell said she saw the man shoving and stabbing people as he moved through the store.

The 30-year-old witness described seeing three people with stab wounds and “blood everywhere.”

Shea said the stabbing spree initially started near the checkout area of the store.

“It is very uncommon for our area,” he said of the violence, adding that citizens in the Walmart “assisted” in apprehending the suspect.

Traverse City is a popular tourist destination located on the shore of Lake Michigan.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said agents were providing “any necessary support to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation of the attacks at the Walmart.”

AFP