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An eight-month international operation targeting West African organised crime networks has resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects, INTERPOL announced on Tuesday.
In a press release published on its website, INTERPOL said Operation Jackal IV, conducted from November 2025 to June 2026, focused on disrupting money laundering, identifying high-value targets, seizing assets, and supporting arrests and prosecutions.
The operation involved Nigeria and 21 other countries across six continents in response to the growing global threat from groups such as Black Axe and similar networks.
According to INTERPOL, these organisations are linked to a significant portion of worldwide cyber-enabled financial fraud, including romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams, and business email compromise schemes, as well as other serious and violent crimes.
INTERPOL said it facilitated cross-border coordination and intelligence sharing, conducted analysis, supported operational activities, and provided specialised training to strengthen international money laundering investigations.
Director of the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, Tomonobu Kaya, said, “Operation Jackal IV demonstrates the power of international cooperation. 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.”
However, many cases remain under investigation due to the complexity of financial crime.
The statement highlighted preliminary outcomes in several countries.
In Argentina, authorities identified 196 individuals linked to a major Crime-as-a-Service network suspected of supplying website domains and money-laundering support to West African groups. The probe led to 17 arrests. An INTERPOL Operational Support Team assisted by analysing seized data, mapping criminal networks and suspects, and coordinating with international partners.
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In South Africa, police raided seven locations in Johannesburg tied to a syndicate running romance and investment scams that targeted retirees in English-speaking countries. The group used a structured hierarchy with “conversion” and “retention” agents handling different stages of the fraud. Authorities seized USD 2.67 million, blocked 257 bank accounts, and arrested 39 people. An INTERPOL Operational Support Team also provided on-site assistance.
In Italy, investigators identified one individual connected to a pan-European money-laundering network that used shell companies, remittance services, and cash withdrawals to conceal the origin of funds. One account alone moved EUR 845,000 (USD 736,000) across 560 transactions involving 20 different financial instruments.
In Romania, police dismantled a group operating a sophisticated investment scam through a call centre that promised high returns on stocks or cryptocurrencies. Victims’ funds were diverted to electronic wallets controlled by the perpetrators, with an estimated EUR 143 million stolen and laundered globally. Eleven people were arrested, and authorities seized approximately EUR 330,000 (USD 379,000) in cash and cryptocurrency, six real-estate properties, and several luxury watches.
The operation also highlighted emerging trends.
INTERPOL said West African organised crime groups have increasingly used sextortion against minors, with victims as young as 14.
It said offenders typically contact children via social media, build trust, coerce them into sharing explicit images or videos, and then threaten to distribute the material unless a ransom is paid.
Some syndicates have also procured Crime-as-a-Service from external providers, often via the dark web, to outsource money laundering and other key activities.
Besides Nigeria, other participating countries were Austria, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal and South Africa.
Others are Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
