..As Interior Minister, Diplomatic Security Service extradites first Ghanaian internet fraud suspect
The United States government, has officially commented on the recent extradition of a Ghanaian national, Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng, alias “Dada Joe Remix”, who is set to face criminal prosecution in the U.S. for his alleged role in a multimillion-dollar fraud scheme.
He is part of a group of four Ghanaians, whose names were recently seen in a letter bearing the signature of the Minister of Interior, Muntaka Mohammed-Mubarak, and addressed to the magistrate of the District Court, Accra. It is not clear when the other three will be extradited.
They are alleged to be involved in a cybercrime scheme that netted over US$100 million in fraud.
The US District Court, is reported to have indicted the four Ghanaians in the Southern District of New York as early as May 30, 2023.
The court charged them with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering in relation to a criminal enterprise operating out of Ghana. It wasn’t until last month that they were arrested.
According to a statement published yesterday, Tuesday, July 1, 2025, via a Facebook page operated by the US Department of State through its Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), Boateng, has been indicted for allegedly operating a fraud ring that exploited romance and inheritance scams to defraud American citizens of several million dollars.
“Boateng was indicted on charges of running a fraud ring that used romance and inheritance schemes to defraud U.S. victims of several million dollars. The subject is now in the United States to face justice,” the statement read.
The extradition was carried out in close collaboration between DSS agents at the U.S. Embassy in Accra and Ghanaian law enforcement officials, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
Boateng, dressed in an orange-coloured T-shirt and black trousers, was seen at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA) under heavy escort by three FBI agents.
He was in specialised handcuffs with a chain secured around his waist to prevent any escape attempt as he was led through the diplomatic section of the airport for his departure to the United States.
The extradition is part of ongoing international cooperation in combating transnational organised crime and safeguarding citizens from financial fraud.
The other three Ghanaians, Inusah Ahmed, Derrick Van Yeboah and Patrick Kwame Asare, are to be handed over to the USA government to face criminal charges over allegations of internet fraud.
The suspects, Isaac Kofi Oduro Boateng, also known as Kofi Boat, a man identified only as Agony, and a third accomplice, were arrested on Friday, June 13, in a joint operation between Interpol and the FBI.
According to a magistrate, the group caused victims to unknowingly transfer hundreds of thousands of dollars into accounts under the syndicate’s control.
Investigators say the syndicate ran romance scams targeting vulnerable individuals, particularly the elderly, through email, text, and online dating platforms.
Victims were manipulated into believing they were in romantic relationships and were persuaded to send money under false pretences, such as promised business opportunities or fictitious emergencies. The handing over proceedings are expected to continue in the coming weeks as Ghanaian authorities cooperate with their US counterparts.
The Interior Minister’s arrest warrant reads “WHEREAS a requisition has been made by the diplomatic representative of the United States of America through the Ministry of Foreign Alfairs and Regional Integration to me the Minister to whom the President has assigned functions under the Extradition Act, 1960 (Act 22) for the arrest of Isaac Oduro Boateng Inusah Ahmed, Derrick Van Yeboah and Patrick Kwame Asare (Ghanaians), AND WHEREAS the said Isaac Oduro Boateng, Inusah Ahmed, Derrick Van Yeboah and Patrick Kwame Asare are suspected to be in Ghana.
“NOW THEREFORE in exercise of the powers conferred on the Minister for the Interior by section 7[1] of the Extradition Act, 1960 (Act 22), the following order is hereby made”.
“It is hereby signified that a requisition has been made to me as aforesaid, and you are hereby required in accordance with the provision of Section 7(1) of the Extradition Act. 1980 [Act 22] to issue a warrant for the apprehension of the said Isaac Oduro Boateng. Inusah Ahmed, Derrick Van Yeboah and Patrick Kwame Asare.
“FOR ALL of which these presents shall be for sufficient authority. IN TESTIMONY WHEREOF, I have hereunder set my hand and seal”.
They were arrested in connection with a $100 million fraud scheme involving Business Email Compromise (BEC) and romance scams, commonly known as ‘sakawa’, in the United States of America (USA).
They are part of the criminal gang, reportedly known as “The Enterprise”.
Kofi Boat is the owner of ICEFOOD LTD, a leading frozen food company in Ghana, while Inusah Ahmed, reportedly owns PAC Academy, a Division One football club.
An arrest warrant signed by the Minister of the Interior, Mohammed Mubarak-Muntaka, on March 18, 2025, listed the names of all the suspects, described as the “chairmen or high-ranking members of The Enterprise”.
Aside from Kofi Boateng, the other suspects named in the arrest warrant are Inusah Ahmed, Derrick Van Yeboah, and Patrick Kwame Asare.
The arrest warrant issued by the minister identified the four men as Ghanaians.
Court documents show that Kofi Boat and three other Ghanaians are accused of committing Business Email Compromise (BEC) and romance scam fraud against individuals and businesses located across the United States.
The accused persons, who were described as “chairmen or high-ranking members of The Enterprise”, are also accused of facilitating the receipt, concealment, and transfer of funds from the fraudulent enterprises, defrauding dozens of victims of at least $100 million.
Specifically, they were charged with “conspiracy to commit wire fraud”, “wire fraud and aiding and abetting wire fraud”, “conspiracy to commit money laundering”, “conspiracy to receive stolen money”, and “receipt of stolen money, and aiding and abetting receipt of stolen money.”
Following their arrests, an extradition request was issued by the US Department of State and relayed through the US Embassy in Accra on June 13, 2024. However, a warrant for the arrest of the suspects was only issued on March 18, 2025, which led to the recent arrest of three of the suspects.
The suspects were arraigned before a magistrate court in Accra and later remanded into police custody, pending proceedings for their extradition to the US.
‘The Enterprise’ is described as a notorious ‘sakawa’ empire which operates in Ghana and West Africa, and has ripped off victims to the tune of tens of millions of dollars.
Since 2021, US authorities have arrested and prosecuted up to 25 members of the notorious gang, including Ghanaian social media personality Mona Faiz Montrage, widely known as Hajia4Reall.
In February 2021, investigative authorities in the United States announced the arrest of six Ghanaians suspected of being part of ‘The Enterprise across some states in the USA at different times.
The members of the gang who were arrested included Farouk Appiedu, Fred Asante, Celvin Freeman, Lord Aning, Sadick Edusei Kissi, and Faisal Ali.
The operation that led to their arrest spanned from 2013 to 2020, during which the group committed a series of business email compromises and romance scams against individuals and businesses located across the United States.
Freeman and Ali were arrested in New Jersey on February 17, 2021, and have since appeared before a Manhattan federal court.
Asante and Aning were also arrested on the same day (February 17, 2021), but in Virginia, with authorities stating that they had been arraigned before the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Alexandria, Virginia.
Appiedu’s arrest was as far back as October 18, 2020, in Queens, New York. Kissi, on the other hand, was previously arrested in Fargo, North Dakota, on February 5, 2020.
“The frauds perpetrated by The Enterprise have consisted of, among other frauds, business e-mail compromises, romance scams, and fraud schemes related to the novel coronavirus/COVID-19 pandemic”, an official statement said in part.
Throughout their operations, four of the six suspects, Appiedu, Asante, Freeman, and Aning, were reported to have controlled more than 45 bank accounts with deposits totalling approximately $55 million.
The operation was conducted by the New York Offices of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI). Prosecution of the case is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit.
In a related development, the DSS revealed on 24th June that it had also coordinated with Ghanaian authorities to deport a number of undocumented Ghanaian migrants from the U.S. via a Department of Homeland Security charter flight.
“In close coordination with Ghanaian authorities, the Diplomatic Security Service recently facilitated the return of illegal immigrants from Ghana on a Department of Homeland Security deportation charter flight,” the post stated. “Operating in over 170 countries, DSS is uniquely positioned to support these flights, helping deter and reduce illegal immigration into the United States.”
The DSS, a branch of the U.S. Department of State, plays a crucial role in international law enforcement cooperation, with operations focused on combating transnational crime, visa and passport fraud, and supporting deportation and extradition efforts worldwide.
