58 arrested in INTERPOL operation targeting West African crime networks

An eight-month operation led by INTERPOL, dubbed Operation Jackal IV, has resulted in the arrest of 58 individuals and the identification of 263 suspects implicated in organised crime networks across 22 countries in West Africa. The operation, which spanned from November 2025 to June 2026, targeted various illicit activities including money laundering and cyber-enabled financial fraud, specifically linked to syndicates such as Nigeria's Black Axe.

Among the targeted crimes were romance scams, investment fraud, cryptocurrency schemes, and business email compromise, which investigators claim constitute a significant portion of global cyber-enabled financial crimes.

In South Africa, INTERPOL backed a major operation in Johannesburg that led to the arrest of 39 individuals involved in running romance and investment scams targeting retirees from English-speaking countries. Authorities seized $2.67 million and froze 257 bank accounts during this operation. The investigation also revealed the growing use of sextortion by West African criminal groups targeting minors, with some victims as young as 14 years old.

This highlights the evolving tactics of organized crime groups that now often harness digital platforms and financial technologies to carry out their fraudulent activities and launder illicit proceeds.

The operation involved the participation of law enforcement agencies from Ivory Coast and Nigeria, along with other countries, underscoring the transnational nature of the criminal networks. INTERPOL emphasized that the operation underscored the critical importance of international cooperation in identifying suspects, dismantling criminal networks, and tracing illicit financial flows associated with organized crime.