Authorities in India have arrested two Nigerian nationals, Modebe Joseph and Sunday Okonkwo, for their alleged involvement in an international cybercrime syndicate accused of hacking cooperative banks.
The suspects were apprehended in Noida, Uttar Pradesh, by the cybercrime unit of the Gautam Buddh Nagar Police Commissionerate during a coordinated security operation.
A report by The Times of India said Joseph, 42, and Okonkwo, 35, were allegedly working with a cyber threat group known as Solar Spider, which reportedly targets financial institutions with weak cybersecurity systems.
The arrests followed a joint operation involving officers from the Cyber Crime Police Station and other security agencies.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shavya Goyal, said investigations revealed that the suspects are part of a wider international cybercrime network with links to criminal groups in Nigeria and South Africa.
Goyal explained that during the weekend of March 7–8, the group allegedly transferred about ₹7 crore (nearly ₦1 billion) from a targeted bank account.
She added that the transaction was reportedly executed over the weekend when the bank was closed, a tactic believed to have been used to delay detection and facilitate movement of the stolen funds.
