The Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of 431 mobile phones to the Federal Government after the devices were linked to a cyber-fraud operation involving foreign nationals and local recruits.
Justice Deinde Dipeolu granted the order following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), which established that the phones were acquired with proceeds of crime and used to carry out internet fraud.
The application was brought as a civil forfeiture action in rem under Section 17 of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Related Offences Act, 2006, and Section 44(2)(b) of the 1999 Constitution.
According to an affidavit filed by EFCC investigator Christopher Augustine, the devices were recovered as part of a probe into an organised crime hub known as ‘HK,’ situated in Victoria Island, Lagos.
The facility-allegedly established by foreign nationals from China, the Philippines, Pakistan, and Kyrgyzstan-housed hundreds of laptops and mobile phones used to execute romance, cryptocurrency, and fake investment scams targeting victims across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe.
A major crackdown on December 10, 2024, led to the arrest of over 700 suspects, including 148 Chinese nationals and around 500 Nigerian youths who were allegedly recruited online and trained to execute phishing schemes.
Investigations revealed that a registered firm, Genting International Company Limited (GICL), controlled by Chinese national Huang Haoyu (alias Ken), managed the recruitment and operations.
Recruits were assigned foreign WhatsApp accounts and instructed to direct victims to a fraudulent online platform, with accounts linked to Huang receiving over ?3.4 billion in illicit funds.
Huang and GICL were charged on March 7, 2025, with cyber terrorism, money laundering, and illegal foreign exchange transactions. Both pleaded guilty and were convicted.
Following the discovery of the additional 431 mobile phones purchased for the operation, the EFCC obtained an interim forfeiture order on July 8, 2026.