Mass arrests in global crackdown on West African cyber‑crime networks

Interpol’s Operation Jackal IV, carried out between November 2025 and June 2026, coordinated a sweeping raid across 22 countries on six continents. The collective effort led to the arrest of 58 individuals linked to organised West African cyber‑crime groups, with 263 additional suspects now identified.

The crackdown focused on romance‑based scams, investment fraud and a worrying wave of sextortion targeting minors—some victims as young as 14. Interpol’s chief of financial crime, Tomonobu Kaya, said the operation disrupted the “lifeblood” of criminal networks by following illicit financial flows across borders.

South African police, backed by Interpol operatives, seized seven key cyber‑crime sites. They arrested 39 suspects, confiscated $2.67 million (≈ £1.96 million) and halted 257 bank accounts. Similar successes were reported in Argentina, Italy, Romania and other jurisdictions.

Operation Jackal IV is a continuation of the “Jackal” series launched in 2022, with Jackal III in 2024 already arresting 300 members of the notorious Black Axe network—a gang spanning continents with activities from trafficking to violent crime.

The operation demonstrates that international cooperation can penetrate organised cyber‑crime’s money‑laundering arteries. As the Black Axe and associated groups expand through digital platforms, global law‑enforcement agencies are tightening their nets, signalling a formidable shift in the fight against cyber‑fraud.