By: Isatou Sarr
A group of forty-two (42) foreigners pleaded guilty to cybercrime-related charges before the Brikama Magistrates’ Court on Thursday, 11th September 2025.
The group which consisted of 37 Nigerians and 5 Chinese nationals appeared before Principal Magistrate Anna O. Mendy.
Initially charged with unlawful possession of devices and data, as well as computer-related extortion, fraud, and forgery, the accused persons pleaded “not guilty” when they first appeared in court on 8th September 2025. However, they changed their pleas during their second appearance.
According to police prosecutor Assistant Commissioner F. Touray, the arrests followed a raid in August 2025 by officers from the Serekunda Police Station acting on a tip-off. The operation targeted two buildings along Coastal Road in Yundum, one serving as a residence and the other as an operational base for the syndicate. Seventeen Nigerian nationals were arrested at the scene, and a large number of devices were seized, including iPhones, Android phones, laptops, and Nigerian passports.
The prosecutor said further investigations revealed the presence of a sophisticated, large-scale cybercrime syndicate run by the suspects under the company called GM Exchange Gambia Ltd. A subsequent raid in Kerr Sering uncovered even more devices, including 166 desktop computers, 112 iPhones, and SIM cards. The group was found to be operating advanced online scams using social media platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Facebook, and Instagram, alongside cryptocurrency platforms such as Coinbase and Crypto.com. VPNs were used to disguise their digital locations.
Police alleged that the Chinese nationals acted as masterminds, recruiting and funding the Nigerian operatives, who were trained in fraudulent online schemes. The group also attempted to hide their travel documents to obstruct law enforcement.
During the hearing, the prosecution tendered 20 photographs as evidence of the seized items. Defense counsel Senior Advocate L.S. Camara requested leniency, stating that the accused were first-time offenders, had saved the court time by pleading guilty, and that no individual complaints or financial losses were recorded. He urged the court not to impose custodial sentences.
Meanwhile, the prosecution did not object to the plea for mercy but requested that all equipment used in the crimes be forfeited to the state. He also invoked Section 16 of the Immigration Act, recommending that the accused persons be deported at their own expense after sentencing.
The case has been adjourned to today, 15th September 2025, for sentencing while the group remains in custody.