58 Arrested in International Crackdown on West African Crime

An eight-month global operation led by INTERPOL has caught 58 suspects and identified 263 others linked to crime groups in West Africa.

INTERPOL announced on Tuesday that this operation included 22 countries, such as Nigeria, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, France, the US, and the UK. The operation took place from November 2025 to June 2026.

This operation is called Operation Jackal IV.

It targeted money-laundering networks in West Africa, including the Black Axe, a notorious group with Nigerian roots. It also focused on high-profile criminals seen as threats around the world.

“The operation, which brought together 22 countries from six continents, is a response to the growing danger posed by West African crime networks like the Black Axe and similar groups.

“These groups are responsible for a large portion of global financial fraud online, often through romance scams, cryptocurrency schemes, or investment fraud, along with other serious and violent crimes,” the statement said.

According to INTERPOL, the operation resulted in the arrest of 39 suspects in South Africa.

Police conducted raids at seven places in Johannesburg linked to a gang accused of running romance and investment scams aimed at retirees in English-speaking countries.

INTERPOL noted that police took $2.67 million and froze 257 bank accounts connected to this network.

In Argentina, 196 people were linked to a major crime-as-a-service network that supplied website domains and money laundering support to crime groups in West Africa.

INTERPOL mentioned that 17 of them were arrested.

A criminal group that operated an “investment scam” using “call centres that promised high returns in stocks or cryptocurrencies” was also found in Romania.

“Police arrested 11 people and seized about EUR 330,000 (USD 379,000) in cash and cryptocurrency, along with six properties and several luxury watches,” the statement said.

Tomonobu Kaya, who directs INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said tracking illegal money across borders is crucial to weakening crime networks.

“Operation Jackal IV shows the strength of international cooperation,” Mr Kaya said.

“By following illegal financial flows across borders, we are hitting the very heart of organized crime and making it harder for these networks to benefit from their actions.”

INTERPOL also pointed out an increase in West African crime groups using sextortion to target young victims, some as young as 14.

“Beyond individual cases, Operation Jackal IV helped analyze important and emerging trends, including a rise in crime groups using sextortion to target minors, with victims as young as 14.

“Criminals usually contact minors on social media, build trust, and then pressure them into sharing explicit images or videos. They threaten to share this material with the victim’s contacts unless a ransom is paid,” he said.

INTERPOL added that it helped with intelligence sharing and coordination across borders while giving analytical support and specialized training to law enforcement agencies involved.