An international operation targeting West African organised crime networks has resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects accused of involvement in cyber-enabled financial fraud, money laundering and other serious crimes.
Operation Jackal IV, conducted between November 2025 and June 2026 by INTERPOL brought together 22 countries from six continents in an effort to disrupt criminal networks including Black Axe and other groups accused of running romance, cryptocurrency and investment scams, as well as business email compromise fraud.
INTERPOL said the operation focused on disrupting money laundering, identifying high-value targets, seizing assets and supporting arrests and prosecutions.
Authorities in participating countries also blocked hundreds of bank accounts and seized millions of dollars in assets linked to suspected criminal activity.
In South Africa, police raided seven locations in Johannesburg linked to a syndicate running romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.
The operation resulted in the arrest of 39 people, while authorities seized $2.67m (Sh344.4m) and blocked 257 bank accounts.
In Romania, police dismantled a criminal group operating an investment scam through a call centre, where victims were promised high returns from stocks and cryptocurrencies.
The network is suspected of stealing and laundering about €143m (Sh21.45b) globally. Police arrested 11 people and seized cash and cryptocurrency worth about €330,000 (Sh49.5m), six properties and several luxury watches.
In Argentina, investigators identified 196 people allegedly involved in a Crime-as-a-Service network that provided website domains and money laundering support to West African organised crime groups. The investigation resulted in 17 arrests.
INTERPOL said its teams supported the operations through cross-border coordination, intelligence sharing, analysis and specialised training for investigators handling money laundering cases.
Tomonobu Kaya, Director of the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said the operation showed the importance of international cooperation in tackling organised crime.
“By following illicit financial flows across borders, we are attacking the very lifeblood of organized crime and making it increasingly difficult for criminal networks to profit from their activities,” Kaya said.
The operation also uncovered emerging threats, including the use of sextortion by West African criminal groups to target minors, with victims as young as 14.
INTERPOL said offenders often approach minors through social media, build trust and pressure them into sharing explicit images or videos before demanding money and threatening to distribute the material.
Investigators also found that some criminal syndicates were turning to Crime-as-a-Service providers, often through the dark web, to outsource activities such as money laundering.
INTERPOL said several cases remain under investigation as authorities continue to pursue suspects and trace illicit financial flows across borders.