INTERPOL raids Black Axe network, arrests 58 in W’Africa
August 26, 2026 12:48 am
INTERPOL officials. CREDIT: INTERPOL website
An eight-month international operation targeting West African organised crime groups has resulted in the arrest of 58 suspects and the identification of 263 others, the International Criminal Police Organisation has said.
The operation, tagged Operation Jackal IV, ran from November 2025 to June 2026 and involved 22 countries across six continents.
According to a statement on Tuesday, INTERPOL said the operation aimed to disrupt money laundering networks, identify high-value criminal targets, seize illicit assets, and support the arrest and prosecution of suspects linked to organised crime.
The agency said the operation was launched in response to the growing global threat posed by West African criminal networks, including Black Axe and other similar groups.
INTERPOL said Black Axe and other groups were responsible for a significant share of cyber-enabled financial fraud globally, including romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams, as well as business email compromise fraud.
“An eight-month operation targeting West African organised crime groups has led to 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects.
“Operation Jackal IV (November 2025 – June 2026) aimed to disrupt money laundering, identify high-value targets, seize assets, and support arrests and prosecution.
“The operation, which brought together 22 countries from six continents, is a response to the escalating global threat posed by West African criminal networks – such as the Black Axe and other similar groups.
“These groups are responsible for a significant share of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud, typically through romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams or business email compromise fraud, as well as other serious and violent crimes,” the statement read.
INTERPOL added that the networks were also linked to other serious and violent crimes.
During the operation, INTERPOL facilitated cross-border coordination and intelligence sharing, conducted analysis, supported operational activities and provided specialised training to strengthen international money laundering investigations.
The Director of the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, Tomonobu Kaya, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in tackling organised crime.
Kaya said, “By following illicit financial flows across borders, we are attacking the very lifeblood of organised crime and making it increasingly difficult for criminal networks to profit from their activities.”
The organisation, however, said several cases arising from Operation Jackal IV remained under investigation because of the complexity of financial crimes.
In Argentina, 196 individuals were identified for their alleged roles in a major 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 it deployed an Operational Support Team to Argentina to assist with the analysis of seized data, identify criminal networks and suspects, and engage international partners to advance investigative leads.
Nigeria was among the 22 countries that participated in the operation.
Other participating countries were Austria, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Solomon Odeniyi is a journalist at Punch Newspapers with over six years of professional experience. He has covered key national beats including the judiciary, military, and police, and currently reports on anti-corruption and related issues. Solomon’s work reflects a strong commitment to development-oriented reporting, public interest journalism, and accountability.
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