- Suspect told airport officials he was a naturalised Paraguayan.
- A court in Nigeria has issued an arrest warrant.
- Victims say they cannot withdraw funds from crypto platform.
Police in Argentina say they have arrested a suspected crypto scammer, wanted for fraud in Nigeria, who attempted to enter the country on a fake Paraguayan passport.
The suspect’s identity has not been released for legal reasons, but Argentine police said his initials are DZ and that he is a Chinese national, Argentine newspaper Clarín reported. The government says it will work to extradite him to Nigeria.
“[DZ] arrived from Paris with false documents,” said Alejandra Monteoliva, the Argentine Security Minister, on X. “He didn't even make it inside the country. The Airport Security Police, the Federal Police, and immigration officers acted immediately.”“Nigeria is asking for him, and we’re going to deport him. Foreign criminals aren’t allowed here.”
Crypto-related fraud continues to make headlines across the world, with the US Department of Justice wading into the notorious OneCoin scam.
In Brazil, meanwhile, police have arrested three crypto-keen influencers as part of an investigation into a suspected voice phishing and money laundering ring.
‘Profits guaranteed’
DZ arrived in Argentina on a flight from Paris, police at Ezeiza International Airport in Buenos Aires said.
Although he presented documents using an assumed name, claiming he was a naturalised Paraguayan citizen, police said they were able to identify him as an Interpol-listed suspect wanted for money laundering and fraud.
Unnamed official sources told Clarín DZ orchestrated a Nigeria-based scheme that left scores of investors out of pocket to the tune of an estimated $49.4 million.
The sources said DZ promised investors high returns if they put their money into his crypto platform.
However, victims said they soon found they were unable to access the platform or make withdrawals.
A Federal Court in the city of Lomas de Zamora told Clarín it was “proceeding with the extradition process.”
In February, a court in Lagos, Nigeria, sentenced two of the Chinese directors of a $2.5 million crypto fraud operator to 46 years in prison, Nigerian media outlet TVC News reported.
The Chinese men were arrested as part of a massive police operation launched in December 2024 that saw officers arrest almost 800 people.
Tim Alper is a News Correspondent at DL News. Got a tip? Email him at tdalper@dlnews.com.
