Dubai authorities have extradited suspected Nigerian fraudsters, Ramon Abbas, better known as Hushpuppi, and Olalekan Ponle, also known as Woodberry, to the United States.
A statement released on Thursday by the Dubai police highlighted the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wray, praising the United Arab Emirates for the arrest and extradition of the duo.
The statement read: “The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wray has praised the exceptional efforts exerted by the United Arab Emirate, represented by the Dubai Police General HQ, in combating transnational organised cybercrime including the recent arrest of Raymond Igbalode Abbas, known as ‘Hushpuppi’ and Olalekan Jacob Ponle aka ‘Woodberry’ who were taken down in operation ‘Fox Hunt 2’.
“Mr Wray also extended his appreciations to Dubai Police for their cooperation in extraditing the wanted criminals, who committed money-laundering and multiple cybercrimes, to the United States.”
Dubai police recently arrested Hushpuppi, Woodberry along with 10 African cybercriminals in a special operation dubbed ‘Fox Hunt 2’.
The operation took down the suspects for committing crimes outside the UAE, including money-laundering, cyber fraud, hacking, criminal impersonating, scamming individuals, banking fraud and identity theft.
The suspects were caught in a series of synchronised raids by six SWAT teams from Dubai police who foiled the gang’s bid to deceive many people from around the world and steal their money.
Director of Dubai CID, Brigadier Jamal Salem Al Jallaf, said the raid resulted in confiscating incriminating documents of a planned fraud on a global scale worth AED 1.6 billion ($ 435 million).
“The team also seized more than AED 150 million ($40.9 million) in cash, 13 luxury cars with an estimated value of AED 25 million ($6.8 million) obtained from fraud crimes, and confiscated 21 computer devices, 47 smartphones, 15 memory sticks, five hard disks containing 119,580 fraud files as well as addresses of 1,926,400 victims,” he said.
Hushpuppi and Woodberry have also been accused of defrauding an American state of $35 million meant for ventilators in the fight against COVID-19.
