The Inspector General of Police Special Intelligence Response Team (IRT) have arrested eleven suspected fraudsters in Kaduna state and Abuja.
The suspects namely Frank Pius, Nduka Innocent, Okechukwu John, Nicholas Nwosu, Chikezie Uwandu, Amos Eze, Ikechukwu John, Micheal Ali, Usman Ladan, Lawrence Adams and a 28-year-old woman, Peace Eje.
They drive around in taxis and stir up conversation about a bag filled with foreign currencies in the boot of their car.
The cab driver would then accuse the supposed owner of the bag of trying to get him and other passengers into trouble by not informing him about the content in the bag stuffed with foreign currencies.
The supposed owner of the bag would confess that the money in the bag was stolen from an Alhaji who is very powerful and the owner was looking for a spiritualist that would help take away the charms in the money.
The owner would also offer to share the money with everyone in the vehicle if they decided to help take the money for cleansing.
If their target is a greedy person, he would pick interest in the story and from that point, he will be taken to a fake native doctor where he or she would be made to swear to an oath not to reveal their secret to anyone and from that point the victim would be swindle of all his money.
The 45-year-old leader of the syndicate, Adams, who was arrested alongside 10 other members of his gang, said he was once a victim of fraudsters.
The Akoko Edo born suspect and father of nine from two women said: “I reside in Abuja metropolis, but formerly I was into tomato business and I was buying from Zaria and was supplying to several parts of the country.
“I was once a victim of fraud and I lost N850,000 to the syndicate and I was then persuaded to join the syndicate in the year 2007. When I joined (the syndicate) they taught me how to do the job.
“I can’t count the number of people I have duped. We have several offices in Jabi and Zango close to Turkish Hospital at old Karmo.”