Three members of a suspected ?419? fraud syndicate have been arrested by the Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) for attempting to dupe two businessmen in Accra.

The suspects, all foreigners, are Abed El-Acha, a 38-year-old Palestinian, and two Nigerians, Daries Olusola Fatimelim, aged 26, and Ibrahim Alabi, aged 28. They had in their custody a briefcase full of forged United States dollar bills. The Deputy Director of CID, Mr Patrick Kwabena Ampewuah, said the suspects were arrested on Wednesday morning at a hotel in Accra on the basis of a tip-off.

He said Abed has posed as the agent of a London jeweler and had attempted to dupe a businessman and proprietor of a private school in Accra, named Vormewor, who expressed interest in a gold transaction.

Abed was arrested at the hotel on Wednesday May 19 while negotiating with Vormewor. The two Nigerians, who had the briefcase containing the fake dollars, were picked up while they were loitering around the hotel.