By Staff Reporter | August 25, 2026
An international crackdown targeting West African organised crime networks, including the notorious Black Axe group, has resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects across 22 countries, according to INTERPOL.
The operation, codenamed Operation Jackal IV, was conducted between November 2025 and June 2026 and involved law-enforcement agencies from six continents. INTERPOL said the operation was designed to disrupt money laundering, identify high-value criminal targets, seize illicit assets and support arrests and prosecutions.
Black Axe and similar networks have been linked by INTERPOL to a significant share of cyber-enabled financial fraud, including romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams, and business email compromise, as well as other serious crimes.
Major arrests and seizures
South Africa recorded the largest number of arrests during the operation, with 39 people detained following raids on seven locations in Johannesburg. Authorities said the locations were linked to romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.
Police also blocked 257 bank accounts and seized approximately US$2.67 million in connection with the investigation.
In Argentina, investigators identified 196 people allegedly connected to a Crime-as-a-Service network suspected of providing website domains and money-laundering support to West African criminal organisations. The investigation resulted in 17 arrests.
Romanian authorities, meanwhile, arrested 11 people linked to an investment scam allegedly operated through a call centre. INTERPOL said the scheme was estimated to have stolen and laundered about €143 million globally. Police seized cash and cryptocurrency, six properties and luxury watches.
Concern over sextortion
INTERPOL also highlighted the growing use of sextortion against minors by some West African organised crime networks. Investigators identified victims as young as 14, with offenders allegedly using social media to build trust before threatening to release victims' intimate images unless money was paid.
The operation also uncovered evidence that some criminal groups were using external Crime-as-a-Service providers, including dark-web operators, to outsource activities such as money laundering.
International cooperation
The operation involved countries including Nigeria, the United Kingdom, United States, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain, Argentina, Australia and Canada, among others.
Tomonobu Kaya, Director of INTERPOL's Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation, particularly by following illicit money flows across borders.
INTERPOL said investigations remain ongoing and that information gathered during Operation Jackal IV could lead to further arrests and prosecutions.
The latest operation underscores the increasingly international nature of organised crime, with networks able to operate across continents, exploit digital platforms and move criminal proceeds through complex financial systems.
Source: INTERPOL.
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