419 scam nearly worked on Iranians

ut for the intervention of Immigration Officials at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), two Iranians would have left the country on January 24 without knowing that the diamonds they had bought for 40,000 dollars were fake.

Acting on the instruction of those who sold the diamonds to them, the two were only waiting to get to Iran before opening the parcel containing the supposed diamonds.

According to them, that was the third time they were in Ghana to transact business.

In their previous transactions they succeeded in buying the precious stone at Akwatia.

Briefing the Ghanaian Times Wednesday, Assistant Director of Immigration, and head of Operations Unit of the Ghana Immigration Service (GIS), Lord Afrifa said four people now in police custody lured the Iranians into the country to sell diamonds to them.

The four are Kenneth Kabutey, 42 the alleged leader; Ishmael Osmah Amartey, 52 interpreter; Osaka Bawa, 48, and Iking Freeman, a Liberian. A fifth person is on the run.

Kabutey is in custody assisting in investigations while the others are on bail.

Mr Afrifa said on January 24, the Iranians who were returning to Iran were held by Immigration officials at the Kotoka International Airport (KIA), for questioning.

He said even though screening of the two showed that they entered the country legally to do business, the officials probed further to know the exact business they came to transact.

The two said that they came to purchase diamonds to the tune of 40,000 dollars. When the Immigration officials asked where the diamonds were, the Iranians replied that the sellers had instructed them not to open the parcel of diamond until they got to Tehran. They produced a document covering the diamonds.

That, according to Mr. Afrifa, aroused the suspicion of the GIS officials who insisted that the parcel should be opened.

It was when the parcel was opened and the contents closely examined that they were found not to be diamonds.

He said the two then led the GIS officials to arrest the suspects at their office near Kwashieman.

Mr. Afrifa said the victims told investigators that it was the brother of Bawa, a footballer in Dubai who introduced the suspects to them.