INTERPOL crackdown on West African crime rings uncovers troubling new trend
INTERPOL's Operation Jackal IV arrested 58 suspects across 22 countries targeting Black Axe-linked West African fraud networks, flagging a rising trend of sextortion against minors.
Operation Jackal IV (November 2025 to June 2026) coordinated arrests across 22 countries against West African organized crime groups such as Black Axe, which INTERPOL links to a large share of global cyber-enabled fraud. Johannesburg raids on a romance and investment scam syndicate targeting retirees yielded $2.67 million seized, 257 bank accounts frozen and 39 arrests, while Argentina exposed a 196-member Crime-as-a-Service network with 17 arrests. Romanian police dismantled a call-center investment scam with roughly €143 million stolen and laundered, and INTERPOL warned these groups increasingly sextort minors as young as 14 and procure Crime-as-a-Service via the dark web.
- 58 arrests and 263 suspects identified across 22 countries
- Johannesburg syndicate targeted English-speaking retirees; $2.67M seized, 39 arrested
- Argentina identified 196 suspects in a Crime-as-a-Service laundering and domain ring
- Romanian call-center investment scam stole and laundered about €143M worldwide
- Groups increasingly sextort minors as young as 14 via social media
- Tags
- black-axecrime-as-a-serviceinterpolinvestment-scammoney-launderingromance-scamsextortionwest-africa
- Vendors
- INTERPOL
- Threat actors
- Black Axe
- Organizations
- INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre
- Countries
- South AfricaArgentinaItalyRomania
From the original article
2 min read at helpnetsecurity.com
Police across 22 countries arrested 58 people and identified 263 suspects during an eight-month INTERPOL operation targeting West African organized crime groups . Suspects detained in an operation targeting West African crime groups (Source: INTERPOL) Operation Jackal IV ran from November 2025 to June 2026.
By @helpnetsecurity · helpnetsecurity.com
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