Two Nigerians, Chibuzor Ikenwe (29) and Chukwuemeka Nwamma (25), have been sentenced to a combined 11 years in prison in the United Kingdom after being convicted over a cryptocurrency fraud worth more than £4 million.
The duo was convicted alongside Hamza Bashir (23) for orchestrating a sophisticated scam that targeted eight victims by impersonating police officers.
According to investigators, the suspects contacted victims and falsely claimed their cryptocurrency assets were under threat. They then persuaded them to disclose account details or transfer their digital assets into fake “secure police accounts” controlled by the gang.
To make the scheme appear legitimate, the group reportedly created fake police websites and laundered the stolen cryptocurrency through a complex network of financial transactions.
The fraud came to light after victims reported the incidents to authorities in January 2025. Detectives used blockchain analysis, financial records and mobile phone data to trace the suspects to an organised criminal network.
Detective Inspector Geoff Donoghue described the convicts as “calculated manipulators” who exploited public trust by posing as police officers while using the proceeds of the fraud to finance lavish lifestyles.
Police arrested the suspects during coordinated raids across London and Essex, recovering approximately £1 million linked to the stolen funds. Officers also seized about 40 mobile phones, cryptocurrency assets, luxury goods, and other valuable items.
Ikenwe and Nwamma were each sentenced to six years for conspiracy to commit fraud and five years for money laundering, while Bashir received three years and nine months for conspiracy to commit fraud and three years for money laundering.Investigators revealed that the gang spent the stolen money on luxuries and expensive holidays, despite one of the suspects declaring an annual income of only £444.
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