An eight-month international operation targeting West African organized crime groups has resulted in 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects across 22 countries, according to INTERPOL. Operation Jackal IV, conducted from November 2025 to June 2026, focused on disrupting criminal networks, tracing illicit funds, identifying high-value targets and supporting arrests and prosecutions.
The operation brought together countries across six continents to tackle the growing global threat posed by West African criminal networks, including Black Axe and similar groups.
These networks have been linked to a significant share of global cyber-enabled financial fraud, including romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams, and business email compromise fraud.
Operation Jackal IV Targets West African Organized Crime Groups
Operation Jackal IV also targeted money laundering activities used to move and conceal criminal proceeds across borders.
INTERPOL coordinated cross-border intelligence sharing, analysis and operational support during the operation. It also provided specialized training to strengthen international investigations into financial crime.
Tomonobu Kaya, Director of the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said the operation showed the importance of international cooperation in following illicit financial flows and disrupting criminal networks.
Major Arrests and Financial Crime Investigations
In Argentina, authorities identified 196 individuals linked to a major Crime-as-a-Service network suspected of providing website domains and money laundering support to West African organized crime groups. The investigation resulted in 17 arrests, with an INTERPOL Operational Support Team assisting with analysis of seized data and identification of suspects and criminal networks.
South African authorities raided seven locations in Johannesburg linked to a syndicate involved in romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries. Investigators arrested 39 people, seized USD 2.67 million and blocked 257 bank accounts.
In Italy, investigators identified an individual connected to a pan-European money laundering network that used shell companies, remittance services and cash withdrawals. One account processed EUR 845,000, or about USD 736,000, through 560 transactions involving 20 financial instruments.
Romanian authorities dismantled a criminal group operating an investment scam through a call centre. The group promoted high returns from stocks and cryptocurrencies, with victims’ money transferred to electronic wallets controlled by perpetrators.
Authorities estimated that EUR 143 million had been stolen and laundered globally. Eleven people were arrested, while cash, cryptocurrency, six real estate properties and luxury watches were seized.
Sextortion and Crime-as-a-Service Emerge
Beyond individual investigations, the operation highlighted emerging threats involving sextortion and Crime-as-a-Service. INTERPOL identified an increase in West African organized crime groups using sextortion to target minors, including victims as young as 14.
In these cases, offenders typically contacted minors through social media, established trust and persuaded them to share explicit images or videos. They then threatened to distribute the material to the victim’s contacts unless a ransom was paid.
Investigators also found that some criminal syndicates were procuring Crime-as-a-Service from external providers, including through the dark web. These services were used to outsource activities such as money laundering and other operational functions.
While several cases from Operation Jackal IV remain under investigation, the preliminary results demonstrate the scale and international reach of the networks targeted during the eight-month operation.
The participating countries were Austria, Argentina, Australia, Canada, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Germany, Indonesia, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, the Netherlands, Nigeria, Portugal, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
