By Boluwatife Kehinde-Idowu The International Criminal Police Organisation, INTERPOL, says an international operation targeting West African organised crime networks, including Black Axe and similar groups, has resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects across 22 countries. According to INTERPOL, the eight-month operation, codenamed Operation Jackal IV, targeted……
By Boluwatife Kehinde-Idowu
The International Criminal Police Organisation, INTERPOL, says an international operation targeting West African organised crime networks, including Black Axe and similar groups, has resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects across 22 countries.
According to INTERPOL, the eight-month operation, codenamed Operation Jackal IV, targeted criminal networks involved in cyber-enabled financial fraud and other organised crimes.
INTERPOL said the operation focused on networks involved in romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment fraud, business email compromise, money laundering and other financial crimes.
The organisation stated that law enforcement agencies from 22 countries across six continents participated in the operation, with investigators working to identify high-value targets, trace illicit financial flows, seize criminal assets, and support arrests and prosecutions.
INTERPOL said South Africa recorded 39 arrests, following raids on seven locations in Johannesburg linked to a network allegedly involved in romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.
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Authorities also seized about $2.67 million and blocked 257 bank accounts linked to the criminal network, according to INTERPOL.
The operation also uncovered an emerging threat involving the use of social media to carry out sextortion against minors, with INTERPOL reporting that some victims were as young as 14.
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 organised crime groups. The investigation resulted in 17 arrests.
INTERPOL said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in dismantling transnational criminal networks and disrupting the financial flows that support organised crime.
