By Neelam Rahim

Alleged cybercrime Kingpin James Aliyu had been arrested on Wednesday in a luxury estate Mansion in Sandton. He’s accused of stealing near R196 million through romance scams and business email compromise fraud.

SAPS arrested him at his house, ending his spending and five years of alleged scamming people. Enforcement source says that the suspected scammer was caught after a multi-agency investigation that transpired almost six years, including the Interpol and, therefore, the Us Department of Homeland Security investigations.

The Nigerian native, who appeared in the Randburg magistrate’s court shortly after his detention, is well-known in South African social circles and on Instagram for his extravagant vacations and excessive spending on expensive products for himself and his fiancée.

His bold social media posts flaunting his fortune have earned him 17,000 Instagram followers.

Aliyu is seemingly in communication with various prominent convicted and suspected fraudsters from around the world and could play a significant role, consistent with Opera News and is alleged to be the kingpin.

He first hit the spotlight in August last year when he accused Khamyi Mbau’s boyfriend Terrence Kudzai Mushonga of what he called a vehicle scam.

Aliyu is assumed to be a member of a world gang, of which some members have already been found guilty within the US.

He is currently detained in jail on fraud charges and can soon make an appearance in court to face his charges.