Authorities in India have arrested two Nigerian nationals, Modebe Joseph and Sunday Okonkwo, over their alleged involvement in an international cybercrime syndicate accused of hacking cooperative banks.
The suspects were arrested in Noida, located in Uttar Pradesh, by the cybercrime unit of the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate during a coordinated security operation.
According to a report by The Times of India, Joseph, 42, and Okonkwo, 35, were allegedly working with a cyber threat group identified as Solar Spider, which reportedly targets financial institutions with weak cybersecurity infrastructure.
The arrests were carried out through a joint operation involving officers from the Cyber Crime Police Station alongside other security agencies.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Shavya Goyal said investigators believe the suspects are part of a broader international cybercrime network with links to criminal groups operating in Nigeria and South Africa.
Goyal explained that during the weekend of March 7-8, the group allegedly transferred about ₹7 crore, estimated at nearly ₦1 billion, from a targeted bank account.
According to her, the transaction was carried out over the weekend when the bank was closed, a strategy believed to have been used to delay detection and give the suspects time to move the stolen funds.