In a sweeping international operation targeting a surge in online sexual extortion scams, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced the arrest of 22 Nigerian nationals accused of orchestrating a series of sextortion schemes that have led to the suicides of more than 20 teenage boys in the United States since 2021.

The arrests were the result of Operation Artemis, a landmark collaborative effort involving law enforcement agencies from Nigeria, the U.S., Canada, Australia, and the United Kingdom. The suspects were apprehended after a nearly two-year investigation into online sextortion rackets preying on teenage boys across social media platforms.

According to a statement published on its website, FBI noted that perpetrators posed as young women online, luring victims into sharing sexually explicit images. Once obtained, the images were used to extort money from the victims under threat of public exposure. In many cases, even after payments were made, the threats continued?pushing some victims to tragic ends.

?This is not a victimless crime,? said Special Agent Karen R., who coordinated the Bureau?s involvement. ?These are real children suffering real consequences.?

The FBI began reviewing thousands of reports in 2021, uncovering digital evidence that traced many of the scams back to Nigeria. In early 2023, agents from the Child Exploitation Operational Unit and forensic analysts uncovered links to suspects in Nigeria, including in cases where victims had died by suicide.

In summer 2023, a joint FBI team, alongside agents from the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), established a temporary command post in Lagos. Working with Nigeria?s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), they targeted suspects through detailed digital tracking and coordinated raids.

?No matter how good the FBI is, they may not be able to penetrate our terrain the way we do,? said Michael Wetkas, EFCC zone commander. ?We know the terrain very well, and that was crucial to the success of this operation.?

Devices seized during the arrests provided troves of digital evidence, including communications, images, and data contradicting suspects? denials. Analysts and forensic experts were present during interviews to confront subjects with undeniable proof of their actions.

?You can?t really say you didn?t do it when we?re seeing it right here on your phone,? said Thomas Million, an FBI analyst who worked on the operation.

Beyond securing arrests, the operation also aimed to send a strong message in Nigeria, where economic hardship and unemployment have pushed some youth toward cybercrime.

?They don?t actually see the suffering of the victims. To them, it?s just a game,? said Abba Sambo, a supervisor at Nigeria?s EFCC.

?An operation like this is a strong message to criminals that their acts will not go unpunished,? said Michael Ervin of the U.S. Consulate in Lagos.

The FBI and its international partners continue to analyze evidence from the arrests and track potential victims. Authorities urge parents and guardians to talk to their children about online safety and report any suspicious behavior to law enforcement immediately. (Saturday Vanguard)

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