INTERPOL Arrests 58, Identifies 263 Suspects In West African Organised Crime Crackdown

The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has arrested 58 suspects and identified 263 others linked to West African organised crime networks following an eight-month international operation targeting cyber-enabled fraud, money laundering and other serious crimes.

The operation, codenamed Operation Jackal IV, was conducted between November 2025 and June 2026, involving law enforcement agencies across 22 countries and six continents.

INTERPOL said the operation was aimed at disrupting the financial infrastructure of organised criminal networks, tracing illicit funds, identifying high-value suspects and supporting arrests and prosecutions.

The international police organisation disclosed this in a report published on its website on Tuesday.

According to INTERPOL, the operation focused on West African organised crime groups, including Black Axe and similar networks, which it said are responsible for a significant proportion of cyber-enabled financial fraud globally.

The criminal activities uncovered ranged from romance and cryptocurrency scams to investment fraud, business email compromise and money laundering.

INTERPOL also said the investigation uncovered links between West African criminal networks and emerging forms of exploitation, including sextortion targeting minors.

Tomonobu Kaya, Director of the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in tackling criminal organisations whose activities transcend national borders.

“Operation Jackal IV demonstrates the power of international cooperation,” Kaya said, as quoted in the report.

“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.”

INTERPOL said it facilitated cross-border coordination and intelligence sharing throughout the operation, while providing financial analysis, operational support and specialised training to participating law enforcement agencies.

It added that many of the cases generated during the operation remain under investigation, meaning the preliminary results could increase as authorities continue analysing seized data and financial transactions.

One of the major operations was carried out in South Africa, where authorities raided seven locations in Johannesburg linked to a criminal syndicate accused of operating romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.

INTERPOL said the syndicate had an elaborate internal structure, with members assigned roles as “conversion” or “retention” agents at different stages of the scams.

The operation led to the arrest of 39 suspects.

Authorities also seized approximately $2.67 million, blocked 257 bank accounts and commenced extensive financial investigations into the network.

INTERPOL deployed an operational support team to South Africa to assist local authorities in analysing seized data, identifying criminal networks and suspects, and developing investigative leads.

In Romania, authorities dismantled another sophisticated criminal network allegedly operating an investment scam through a call centre.

According to INTERPOL, the suspects allegedly lured victims with promises of high returns from investments in stocks and cryptocurrencies before diverting their money into electronic wallets controlled by the criminals.

The scheme is estimated to have stolen and laundered about €143 million globally.

Romanian police arrested 11 people and seized approximately €330,000 in cash and cryptocurrency, six properties and several luxury watches.

INTERPOL said the investigation demonstrated how criminal networks are increasingly combining traditional financial crime techniques with digital payment systems and cryptocurrencies to conceal and move illicit proceeds.

In Argentina, authorities identified 196 people allegedly linked to a major “Crime-as-a-Service” network suspected of providing website domains and money-laundering services to West African organised crime groups.

The operation resulted in 17 arrests.

INTERPOL said its operational support team assisted Argentine authorities in analysing seized digital data, identifying suspected members of criminal networks and establishing links with international partners.

The agency said the case highlighted the growing outsourcing model adopted by organised crime groups, with criminals relying on specialised external providers for services such as money laundering and the creation of online infrastructure.

In Italy, investigators identified a suspect connected to a pan-European money-laundering network allegedly using shell companies, remittance services and cash withdrawals to conceal the origins of criminal proceeds.

INTERPOL said one account alone was used to launder €845,000, equivalent to about $736,000, through 560 transactions involving 20 different financial instruments.

The case, according to the organisation, underscored the increasingly complex methods used by criminal networks to move illicit funds across jurisdictions and conceal their origins.

Beyond arrests and financial seizures, INTERPOL said Operation Jackal IV revealed worrying emerging trends in the activities of West African organised crime networks.

The organisation identified an increase in sextortion targeting minors, with victims as young as 14 identified in some cases.

According to INTERPOL, perpetrators typically approach minors through social media, establish relationships and gain their trust before coercing them into sharing explicit images or videos.

The criminals then threaten to distribute the material to the victims’ friends, family members or other contacts unless money is paid.

INTERPOL warned that the use of such tactics demonstrated the expanding range of crimes being adopted by organised criminal networks operating across borders.

The organisation also found that some West African criminal syndicates were procuring “Crime-as-a-Service” from external providers, frequently through the dark web.

Such services enable criminal groups to outsource critical components of their operations, including money laundering and other activities required to sustain fraudulent schemes.

INTERPOL said the model makes investigations more difficult because different individuals or groups may perform separate functions while remaining connected through digital platforms and financial networks.

Operation Jackal IV involved law enforcement agencies from 22 countries: Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, Argentina, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, the United States and Austria.

INTERPOL said the operation formed part of continuing international efforts to dismantle organised crime networks by targeting not only individuals involved in fraud but also the financial systems and digital infrastructure that enable the criminal activities.