An international police operation targeting West African organised crime networks involved in online fraud has resulted in 58 arrests across 22 countries and six continents.
Operation Jackal IV, coordinated by Interpol between November 2025 and June 2026, also identified 263 suspects linked to criminal networks involved in romance scams, investment fraud, cryptocurrency scams, business email compromise and money laundering.
Interpol said the operation was launched in response to the growing international reach of West African organised crime groups, including Black Axe and similar networks, which have been linked to a significant proportion of cyber-enabled financial fraud worldwide.
Authorities also uncovered emerging methods used by criminal syndicates, including sextortion targeting children as young as 14 and the outsourcing of criminal services through the dark web.
According to Interpol, some groups are increasingly using so-called “Crime-as-a-Service” providers to carry out activities such as money laundering and other aspects of their operations.
South Africa raids net 39 arrests
South Africa accounted for the majority of arrests during the international operation.
Authorities raided seven locations in Johannesburg linked to a syndicate accused of running romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.
The organisation allegedly operated a sophisticated structure in which members were assigned specific roles, including “conversion” and “retention” agents responsible for different stages of defrauding victims.
South African authorities arrested 39 people, seized $2.67 million and blocked 257 bank accounts linked to the alleged criminal network. Interpol deployed an operational team to Johannesburg to assist local law enforcement.
South African police had earlier confirmed a major Johannesburg operation in January involving the Hawks, Interpol, SARS, banking institutions and other agencies targeting alleged bogus investment scammers and call-centre operators.
Criminal networks targeted across three continents
Operation Jackal IV also produced arrests and major investigations elsewhere.
In Argentina, investigators identified 196 people allegedly connected to a “Crime-as-a-Service” network suspected of supplying website domains and money-laundering infrastructure to West African organised crime groups. Seventeen people were arrested.
Romanian authorities meanwhile arrested 11 people suspected of operating an investment scam through a call centre that promised victims lucrative returns from stocks and cryptocurrencies.
Interpol said approximately €143 million was believed to have been stolen and laundered globally through the scheme. Authorities seized around €330,000 in cash and cryptocurrency, six properties and luxury watches.
Investigators in Italy also identified an alleged member of a Europe-wide money-laundering network that used shell companies, remittance services and cash withdrawals to disguise the origins of criminal proceeds.
Tomonobu Kaya, director of Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said international law enforcement agencies were increasingly targeting the financial infrastructure that allows organised crime groups to operate across borders.
Many investigations resulting from Jackal IV remain ongoing.
Years-long crackdown on ‘Black Axe’ and related groups
Operation Jackal IV is the latest in a series of international operations launched by Interpol specifically against Black Axe and similar West African criminal networks.
The first Operation Jackal was conducted in 2022 and resulted in dozens of arrests across 14 countries.
Operation Jackal III in 2024 expanded to 21 countries across five continents and resulted in around 300 arrests, more than 400 additional suspects being identified and over 720 bank accounts being blocked. Authorities also seized approximately $3 million in assets.
Interpol has described Black Axe and related groups as transnational organised crime networks with involvement extending beyond online fraud into money laundering and other serious criminal activity.
The latest operation involved authorities from countries including South Africa, Nigeria, Côte d’Ivoire, the UK, US, Canada, Australia, Japan, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, the UAE and several other European and Asian states.
