INTERPOL has announced the arrest of 58 individuals and the identification of 263 suspects following a coordinated global operation targeting West African organised crime groups, including the Black Axe network.
Known as Operation Jackal IV, the operation was conducted from November 2025 to June 2026 and involved law enforcement agencies from 22 countries across six continents. It focused on disrupting money-laundering networks, apprehending high-value suspects, and supporting international prosecution efforts.
In a post on its official X account, formerly known as Twitter, INTERPOL stated: “An eight-month operation targeting West African organized crime groups has led to 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects.”
According to INTERPOL, criminal groups such as Black Axe represent a growing global threat and are responsible for a significant proportion of cyber-enabled financial crime. Their activities include romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment fraud, and business email compromise schemes.
Authorities reported significant results across participating countries. In Argentina, investigators uncovered a crime-as-a-service network that supported West African organised crime groups by providing digital infrastructure, including fraudulent websites, domains, and money-laundering channels used to facilitate scams worldwide.
In Romania, law enforcement dismantled a sophisticated investment-fraud operation that facilitated large-scale financial crimes through call-centre schemes promoting fraudulent cryptocurrency and stock investments. Victims’ funds were transferred into controlled accounts and laundered across multiple jurisdictions, with estimated global losses exceeding €143 million.
INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre stated that the operation demonstrated the increasing sophistication of transnational organised crime, including the use of outsourced cyber tools and emerging threats such as sextortion targeting minors.
The agency noted that, given the complexity and scale of the cases uncovered during the operation, several investigations remain active across multiple jurisdictions. Authorities are continuing to analyse seized data, trace illicit financial flows, and identify additional suspects linked to the networks.
INTERPOL also indicated that further coordinated enforcement actions are expected in the coming months as intelligence gathered during Operation Jackal IV generates additional investigative leads.
Operation Jackal IV underscores the importance of sustained international cooperation, intelligence sharing, and financial tracking in dismantling organised criminal networks and preventing future cyber-enabled financial crimes worldwide.
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