The Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kash Patel, says the agency has captured six fugitives on its Most Wanted Fraudsters list, while its international crackdown on scam centres has resulted in nearly $17 billion in seizures.
Patel announced the developments on Sunday, October 25, highlighting the FBI’s efforts to pursue fraud suspects across four continents and dismantle international criminal networks accused of targeting Americans through online scams.
According to Patel, the six fugitives collectively spent more than 4,000 days on the run, while fraud cases linked to the FBI’s Most Wanted Fraudsters list involved more than $2 billion.
The suspects are Manjit Singh Bedi, Elaine Agene Esco, Khalid Ahmed Satary, Herbert Leon Kimble, Sahid Abdullahi Ereg and Emylee Thai.
Patel said the fugitives had believed leaving the United States and hiding abroad would place them beyond the reach of American law enforcement.
“They were wrong,” he wrote, adding that the FBI and its international partners would continue pursuing people accused of defrauding Americans regardless of where they were hiding.
In a separate update, Patel said Operation Blackout had led to the seizure of nearly $17 billion, the arrest of hundreds of alleged scammers and the rescue of thousands of trafficked workers.
He also said the campaign had helped authorities warn more than 10,000 Americans before they lost money, preventing an estimated $670 million in financial losses.
“We’re not just investigating these criminal enterprises.
“We’re dismantling their networks, disrupting their finances, rescuing victims, and holding those responsible accountable,” Patel said.
The operation targets scam centres accused of exploiting victims through international fraud schemes. Some of the centres also rely on people trafficked and forced to work in fraudulent operations.
FBI Reports Nine Arrests In Nigeria
Patel also disclosed that a recent Operation Blackout operation in Nigeria resulted in nine arrests and the seizure of 53 electronic devices.
He said investigators identified $11 million in potentially freezable funds across multiple countries, crediting Nigerian law enforcement and partners in London for their cooperation.
“Thanks to Nigerian law enforcement and our partners in London for their outstanding cooperation,” Patel said.
The Nigeria operation forms part of the FBI’s wider efforts to disrupt cybercrime networks operating across national borders, seize funds linked to suspected fraud and identify those responsible.
Patel said the bureau would continue working with international partners to dismantle criminal networks, disrupt their finances and pursue individuals accused of targeting Americans.
The FBI’s campaign combines investigations, arrests, asset seizures and efforts to identify and assist people trafficked into scam operations.
Ademide Adebayo
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