June 19 2007

Update Police arrested 111 West Africans in Amsterdam.

- Fraudsters known to celebrate victories in Grand Cafe.
- Local politicians protest "discriminating"  police action against illegals in general.
- Nigerians protest in front of Nigerian Embassy The Hague against the police raid
- Ultrascan 419-fraud experts say, 3 celebrating scamring leaders among the visitors of Grand Cafe

- 419 crime organizations cause US$ 386 million damages from the Netherlands "not enough" done against 419 fraud organizations.
- Nigerian protesters did not wear "STOP 419" T-shirts ....
- Since October 2006 over 200 419 fraud suspects have been arrested

As part of a 7-month long investigation into Internet fraud, in co-operation with US law enforcement that resulted in 12 arrests (of which some will be extradited to the US), the police of Amsterdam-Amstelland checked upon information that West African 419 Advance Fee Scammers celebrated there weekly victories over gullible victims from all over the world in Grand Cafe (nightclub) "Het Vervolg" in Amsterdam South East.

111 people were arrested for being in the Netherlands illegally 10 of those arrested will be prosecuted because they were carrying false papers. 2 were carrying real dutch passports that did not match their description (not belonging to them). About 70 are detained because of
their illegal status and will probably be send back to their country.

Local politicians and lawyers protest against discriminating police raid, Mayor asked to explain police actions, answer expected on this
thursday.

A group of Nigerians held a protest demonstration in front of Nigerian Embassy The Hague against the police raid, they claimed the police raid embarrassing, the group was accompanied by the in West Africa well known artists Osuofia en Maleke.

-----------------
Observations of the 419 Unit at Ultrascan:

At the time of the arrests at least 3 "successful" scamring leaders were having a celebration in the Grand Cafe of which 2 will only be send back to their country and not prosecuted for their fraud activities. One other was not arrested because he carried valid documents.

These type of attacks on 419 fraudsters is only good enough to send a message to the fraudsters that they are no longer welcome in the
Netherlands. But it will not stop the growth of the fraud organizations and the 419 problem in Europe as such.

In 2006 we very conservatively estimated that there were over 1500 Nigerian 419 scammers in the Netherlands. And that 419 fraudsters
inflicted  at least US$ 386 million losses working from the Netherlands.
Losses inflicted by 419 scammers in other countries to Dutch victims were estimated US$ 79 Million in 2006.

Remarks by the 419 Unit:

The local politicians and the people who demonstrated at the Nigerian embassy against the police action could have been dressed with STOP 419 T-shirts ....... but they did not ....

----------------
Apollo
In addition to the investigations by the police of Amsterdam-Amstelland the Dutch police launched in october 2006 operation Apollo, a federal
police co-operation to fight Internet fraud scams operated by West Africans and notably Nigerians. Until today the project lead to over 80
arrests.
-----------------