U.S. law enforcement officials have detailed the extensive multi-agency collaboration that resulted in the arrest of 31-year-old Frederick Kumi, also known as Abu Trica, the suspected mastermind behind an $8 million romance fraud scheme targeting elderly Americans.
The operation, carried out on Friday, marks one of the most coordinated cross-border law enforcement partnerships in recent years, bringing together a broad coalition of Ghanaian and U.S. institutions. On the Ghanaian side, the effort involved the Attorney-General’s Office, the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO), the Ghana Police Service, the Cyber Security Authority, the Narcotics Control Commission (NACOC), and the National Intelligence Bureau.
Key U.S. federal agencies played critical roles in the investigation and arrest, including the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Sensitive Investigations Unit, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs, and the FBI Legal Attaché Office in Accra. These entities collaborated on intelligence sharing, digital tracking, and the coordination of legal processes leading to Kumi’s indictment.
A U.S. federal grand jury has charged Kumi with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Investigators have linked him to a criminal network that orchestrated romance scams targeting elderly victims since 2023, allegedly moving substantial funds through complex channels designed to evade detection.
Officials emphasize that the operation underscores the growing momentum of cooperation between Ghanaian and U.S. agencies in combating transnational crimes – particularly cyber-enabled fraud schemes that impact victims across both nations. As digital crime continues to evolve, the successful partnership serves as a model for cross-border collaboration in protecting vulnerable populations and holding perpetrators accountable.
