A Dublin court has sentenced two Nigerian nationals, Francis Ogbuefi (42) and Steven Silvester (32), to a combined 16 and a half years in prison for their leadership roles in a "highly sophisticated" €6.17 million global money laundering syndicate.
The sentencing follows an extensive investigation by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau of Ireland.
Ogbuefi, a resident of Crumlin, Dublin, was handed a nine-year sentence, while Silvester, based in Newbridge, Co. Kildare, received seven and a half years.
According to reports from Raidió Teilifís Éireann (RTE), the duo traveled from Nigeria to Ireland specifically to coordinate organized fraud, including romance scams and "smishing" (SMS phishing) operations.
Investigators discovered that Ogbuefi acted as the primary link for international collaborators, managing a network of bank accounts opened under Irish names to evade security triggers.
Data recovered from his phone included a nine-minute instructional video on how to execute the frauds and evidence that he took a 20% commission on all illicit proceeds.
“Money laundering networks rely heavily on access to bank accounts. These men demonstrated a strong understanding of banking vulnerabilities and regularly tested them,” Presiding Judge Martin Nolan noted during the sentencing.
The court heard that Ogbuefi initially entered Ireland as a student, while Silvester had lived in direct provision.
Despite having no prior criminal records, the judge emphasized that the complexity of their operation required a severe deterrent.
This conviction adds to a rising tally of high-profile fraud cases involving Nigerians abroad in 2026.
#Ireland #Fraud #MoneyLaundering #NigeriaNews #Garda #RomanceScam #CrimeNews #Dublin
Post a Comment