EFCC nabs, jails China’s cybercriminals, internet fraudsters

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has secured the conviction of six Chinese nationals at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi Division, sentencing them to one year in prison for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

The convicted Chinese are JIA You, Wang Zheng Feng, Liu San Hua, Chen Wen Yuan, Liu Beixing, and Wen Zong Xu.

The anti-graft agency nabbed the crooks during a sting operation tagged ‘Eagle Flush Operation’ on December 19, 2024, as part of a syndicate of 792 alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects.

They were arraigned in February on separate count charges bordering on cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.

The Chinese nationals changed their not-guilty pleas to guilty pleas at the court on Monday. After the defendants pleaded guilty, the prosecution urged the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

Trial judges D.I. Dipeolu and  A.O. Faji convicted all the defendants to one year of imprisonment, starting from the date of their arrest on December 10, 2024, with an additional fine of N1 million each.

The judges also ordered that after the Chinese nationals have served their sentences, they should be deported to China within seven days.

Meanwhile, 17 other Chinese nationals among the 792 alleged cryptocurrency investment and romance fraud suspects were also convicted in a separate court at the Federal High Court in Ikoyi on Monday.

The 17 Chinese nationals convicted include Yu Hui, Huang Jin Hui, Fei Fan, Lu Qiang, Hu Xi Zheng, Sun Zhi Peng, Wu Hao, Cong Bing and Li Qiang, Zheng Wei, Cheng Jian, DA Tou, A Wen, Zhang Lei, Huang Zhi, Pan Jiong and Chen Wen Yuan.

They were accused of accessing a computer system used to destabilise and destroy “the economy and social structure of Nigeria and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18(1) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc.) Act 2015”.

Following their guilty plea, trial judges D. E.Osiagor and  D.I. Dipeolu convicted all the defendants to one-year imprisonment, effective from their date of arrest, December 10, 2025, with an additional fine of N1 million each.

The judges also ordered that after the defendants have served their sentence, the comptroller general of immigration should ensure that they are deported to China within seven days.

The court ordered the forfeiture of the mobile phones, computers, laptops, and routers confiscated from the Chinese crooks during their arrest.