– East-Legon Sakawa Kings Under Siege
– Indicted In US$100m Global Fraud Scheme
– CID, Police Silent Amidst Alleged Complicity
Front Desk Report
A bombshell indictment from the Southern District of New York has ripped the lid off a sophisticated Ghanaian-led cybercrime syndicate, exposing a staggering US$100 million fraud operation that preyed on vulnerable individuals and businesses across the United States.
While the US Department of Justice has unmasked the alleged masterminds, whispers from confidential sources within CID and the Ghana Police Service suggest a deeper, more troubling narrative surrounding the long-running scam.
The indictment, seen by The New Republic (TNR), names four Ghanaians – Isaac Oduro Boateng a/k/a “Kofi Boat,” Inusah Ahmed a/k/a “Pascal,” Derrick Van Yeboah a/k/a “Van,” and Patrick Kwame Asare a/k/a “Borgar” – as key figures in a criminal enterprise referred to internally as “sakawa,” a Ghanaian term for internet fraud.
The quartet, all residents of Ghana, are accused of spearheading a vast network that perpetrated elaborate romance scams and business email compromises (BECs) dating back to at least 2016.
Confidential sources close to the investigation, who spoke to TNR on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter, expressed frustration over the perceived lack of proactive action from Ghanaian authorities, particularly the Ghana Police Service, in dismantling the syndicate despite its long operational history.
“This ‘sakawa’ operation has been on Interpol’s radar for a considerable time,” one source within Interpol revealed. “The scale of it, the ‘chairman’ structure – it was well-known within certain circles. The question remains: why has it taken an indictment from the US to bring these individuals to justice?”
Another high-ranking source within the Ghana Police Service, also requesting anonymity, hinted at systemic challenges and potential complicity. “These operations don’t just spring up overnight and run for years without some level of awareness, if not outright protection, from certain quarters,” the source alleged.
“There are many questions that need to be answered about how this enterprise flourished for so long, siphoning millions out of the US and into Ghana, with seemingly little local intervention.”
According to the US indictment, Boateng and Ahmed served as “chairmen” of the enterprise, directing activities, while Yeboah and Asare were high-ranking members, with Yeboah personally engaging in romance scams.
The modus operandi was chillingly effective: members of the enterprise would cultivate fake romantic relationships with often elderly and vulnerable victims online, then con them into wiring large sums of money under various false pretenses.
They also employed sophisticated BEC tactics, impersonating company employees to trick businesses into transferring funds.
The stolen proceeds, referred to as “clean money” by the fraudsters because victims were deceived into initiating transfers, were allegedly funneled through “middlemen” in the United States who operated shell companies, taking a percentage before laundering the rest to the “chairmen” and other members in West Africa.
The indictment outlines five counts against the defendants: Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Wire Fraud, Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering, Conspiracy to Receive Stolen Money, and Receipt of Stolen Money.
Specific overt acts cited include transfers of hundreds of thousands of dollars in romance scam proceeds for laundering in mid-2020.
Despite the gravity of the accusations and the multi-million dollar scale of the alleged fraud, neither Interpol’s West African bureau nor the Ghana Police Service has issued official statements regarding their involvement, or lack thereof, in the investigation leading up to the US indictment.
This silence, our confidential sources suggest, only fuels speculation about the true extent of awareness and the reasons for delayed action.
“This indictment is just the tip of the iceberg,” the Interpol source concluded. “It exposes a sophisticated global network, and for it to have operated on such a scale, unchallenged for so long on the ground, raises serious concerns about cross-border cooperation and domestic law enforcement efforts in combating cybercrime.”
The revelations from the US indictment, coupled with the murmurs from within international and local law enforcement, paint a stark picture of a thriving criminal underworld and the urgent need for a more robust, transparent response to the growing threat of cyber fraud emanating from the region.
Kofi Boat is allegedly linked to politicians on both sides of Ghana’s main political divide .Intelligence from law enforcement sources indicates Trump administration is observing the Ghanaian process and is pushing to stop the defrauding of Americans.
The coming weeks are likely to see increased pressure on Ghanaian authorities to address the damning allegations and demonstrate their commitment to tackling transnational organized crime.