…identifies 263 suspects across 22 countries
An eight-month International Police operation targeting West African organised crime networks has resulted in the identification of 263 suspects and the arrest of 58 people across 22 countries.
Known as Operation Jackal IV, the INTERPOL-coordinated exercise was conducted between November 2025 and June 2026, with law enforcement agencies focusing on dismantling criminal networks, tracing illicit financial flows, identifying key suspects, recovering criminal proceeds and supporting prosecutions.
INTERPOL disclosed the outcome of the operation in a statement published on its website on Tuesday.
INTERPOL said the operation was launched in response to the growing international reach of West African criminal networks, including the Black Axe and other groups linked to cyber-enabled fraud and violent crimes.
It stated that the networks have been associated with various forms of financial crime, including romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment fraud, as well as business email compromise schemes.
The operation involved law enforcement agencies from 22 countries spanning six continents.
Tomonobu Kaya, Director of INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international collaboration in tackling organised crime.
“Operation Jackal IV demonstrates the power of international cooperation. By following illicit financial flows across borders, we are attacking the very lifeblood of organised crime and making it increasingly difficult for criminal networks to profit from their activities,” Kaya said.
In Argentina, investigators identified 196 people allegedly connected to a major Crime-as-a-Service network accused of supplying website domains and money-laundering services to West African criminal groups. The investigation led to 17 arrests.
South African authorities, meanwhile, carried out raids at seven locations in Johannesburg as part of an investigation into a syndicate allegedly involved in romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.
INTERPOL said the South African operation resulted in 39 arrests, the seizure of $2.67 million and the freezing of 257 bank accounts.
In Italy, investigators identified a suspect allegedly linked to a money-laundering network operating across Europe. The network reportedly used shell companies, remittance businesses and cash withdrawals to disguise the origins of illicit funds.
INTERPOL said one bank account connected to the network processed €845,000 through 560 transactions involving 20 different financial instruments.
Romanian authorities also dismantled a criminal organisation accused of running an investment scam through a call centre, arresting 11 people in the process.
The operation in Romania led to the recovery of approximately €330,000 in cash and cryptocurrency, as well as six properties and several luxury watches. INTERPOL said investigators estimated that the scheme had generated and laundered about €143 million globally.
Beyond financial crimes, the international operation uncovered an increase in sextortion cases involving West African organised crime groups and minors.
INTERPOL said some victims were as young as 14, with offenders allegedly using social media platforms to establish relationships with minors before coercing them into sending explicit images or videos.
The suspects would then allegedly threaten to circulate the material to the victims’ friends and family unless ransom payments were made.
The agency also reported that some organised crime groups were increasingly turning to Crime-as-a-Service providers, including operators on the dark web, to outsource specialised criminal activities such as money laundering.
Nigeria was among the countries that participated in Operation Jackal IV. Other participating countries were Austria, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
INTERPOL said the results of the operation highlighted the increasingly international nature of West African organised crime and the need for continued cooperation between law enforcement agencies to disrupt criminal networks and their financial infrastructure.
