NHK



 

Ghanaian authorities have detained a man wanted by Japanese police on suspicion of leading an international romance scam group.

Investigative sources say Morikawa Hikaru was detained in Ghana last month for allegedly staying in the country illegally.

Japanese police say Morikawa and other members of his group swindled about 11,000 dollars from two people.

They say the group used false identities, such as an American writer, on a matchmaking app. They tricked people into falling in love and asked them for money, including living expenses.

Police have put Morikawa on an international wanted list. They suspect he gave instructions from Ghana to other members of the group in Japan.

The 58-year-old is expected to be sent back to Japan soon. Police plan to arrest him.

Investigators say the group's bank account records show that roughly 3 million dollars had been deposited by 65 people believed to have been victims.