Suspected ring-leader of several bank frauds arrested in Lagos

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad have arrested 47-year-old Ajisafe Olugbenga, who allegedly masterminded several bank frauds in the Lagos metropolis.

The suspected ring-leader popularly known as Harrison was arrested after he was fingered as the initiator and mastermind of a SIM swap deal at a network provider’s outlet in Surulere, Lagos, and Abeokuta, Ogun State.

According to police sources, the suspect, before he was nabbed had been on the run over his involvement in a N2 million fraud in one of the old generation banks in Lagos State sometime in April, last year.

Revealing his mode of operation, a police source said Ajisafe allegedly has a vast network with insiders in the banks which exploited to procure bank details of high net worth customers. It is this information such as account balance, account number and phone number of the owner and e-mail that the gang work on to perpetrate the fraud.

According to sources, the gang blocks or swaps the sim of the bank customer so that he or she does not receive the transaction on the account, which were mostly perpetrated on a weekend when the money were withdrawn in tranches.

Before this, the bank insider, who has his or her cut on every transaction, would have helped the gang to increase the customer’s withdrawal limit.

Sources disclosed that when the suspected fraudsters were arrested, several print outs of customers details were found with them. It was further revealed that the balances on all the print outs was over N800 million.

Ajisafe is now awaiting trial after his arrest and he will face prosecution alongside other suspects including Michael Adeoye, Ayo Olalekan, Israel Ochenehi, Adegbenro Opeyemi, Obong Udeme-Obot and Peter Ezurike.

In his confessional statement to the police, Ajisafe reportedly said; “About a year ago, Joe Calabar approached me that he needed someone in … Bank to increase withdrawal limit (daily), I spoke to a friend Chima, who was in … Bank. Both of us met Israel at a joint in Skakhor…. The following day, we were all to meet to give a form to Chima. I noticed that too many calls were coming on my line, so I didn’t turn up for the meeting. It was later that I heard RRS has arrested Chima.”

ASP Olarinde Famous Cole, the Police PPRO, confirmed the arrest of Ajisafe and his accomplices and also informed that the suspects have been transferred to the SCID, Panti for further investigations.

The Police PPRO also noted that there would be no hiding place for criminals in Lagos State adding that officers of the command are at alert to nip crime in the bud.

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