Interpol has dealt a significant blow to several West African cybercrime groups, including the infamous Black Axe syndicate, through Operation Jackal III. Running from April 10 to July 3, the operation spanned 21 countries across five continents, resulting in 300 arrests and the seizure of assets worth $3 million.
The extensive operation also led to the identification of 400 suspects and the blocking of more than 720 bank accounts. Black Axe, notorious for its involvement in romance fraud, business email compromise (BEC), and other financial crimes, has been active for decades.
Operation Jackal III did not target Black Axe alone. A notable success was the alleged dismantling of a Nigerian-led international criminal network in Argentina, culminating a five-year investigation. This network has been linked to money laundering across 40 countries and has victimized 160 individuals through online fraud.
In Portugal, police disrupted another Nigerian criminal network involved in recruiting money mules and laundering funds from digital financial fraud victims across Europe. Over 25 members of this syndicate were identified, with seized data revealing substantial money transfers to Nigerian bank accounts and cryptocurrency transactions.
Isaac Oginni, Director of Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), highlighted the operation’s significance: “The volume of financial fraud stemming from West Africa is alarming and increasing. This operation’s results underscore the critical need for international law enforcement collaboration to combat these extensive criminal networks.”
“By identifying suspects, recovering illicit funds, and imprisoning some of West Africa’s most dangerous organized crime leaders, we are able to weaken their influence and reduce their capacity to harm communities around the world,” Oginni added.
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