In brief
Interpol’s latest Operation Jackal IV, launched between November 2025 and June 2026, resulted in 58 arrests and 263 identified suspects across 22 countries and six continents. Targeting West African cyber‑crime groups, the operation routed funds and exposed romance, investment and sextortion scams, including Black Axe’s activities. Victims included pensioners in English‑speaking nations and minors aged 14, with significant financial gains seized—e.g., South Africa seized $2.67 m and blocked 257 accounts. The raid highlights how international cooperation can dismantle global fraud networks and threaten their lifeblood of illicit money flows.
Fifty‑eight people linked to organised West African cyber‑crime groups have been arrested in an operation across 22 countries and six continents.
Co‑ordinated by Interpol and branded "Operation Jackal IV", the sweep targeted romance and investment scams, uncovering a further 263 suspects. The agency highlighted the growing threat posed by networks such as the feared Nigerian Black Axe group, reportedly responsible for a significant share of cyber‑enabled financial fraud.
Investigations revealed how these groups laundered money and committed cryptocurrency and email‑compromise fraud, often veering into sextortion against minors as young as 14.
Operation Jackal IV ran from November 2025 to June 2026, spotlighting laundering pathways that allowed the illegal financial lifeblood of these networks. "By following illicit financial flows across borders, we are attacking the very lifeblood of organised crime," said Tomonobu Kaya, director of Interpol’s Financial Crime Centre.
The operation leveraged cross‑border coordination and intelligence sharing, providing specialised training for money‑laundering investigations. Arrests were carried out in Argentina, Italy, Romania and South Africa, where seven sites linked to a romance and investment scam syndicate were raided.
In Johannesburg, South African police seized $2.67 million (£1.96 million) and blocked 257 bank accounts after executing 39 arrests. The crackdown also exposed the West African networks’ involvement in other violent crimes, underscoring the multi‑faceted nature of these organisations.
Operation Jackal IV is part of a series of "Jackal" operations since 2022, the first of which, Jackal III, arrested 300 people linked to Black Axe in 2024. Black Axe, a shadowy criminal network, still operates trafficking, prostitution and lethal enforcement worldwide, with Nigeria being the main recruitment ground.
