- INTERPOL’s Operation Jackal IV arrested 58 people and identified 263 suspects across 22 countries
- West African crime groups like Black Axe are driving a surge in cryptocurrency and romance scams worldwide
- Authorities dismantled a Romanian call center that stole €143 million through fake crypto and stock investments
An eight-month INTERPOL operation targeting West African organized crime groups has led to 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects across 22 countries. The operation, which ran from November 2025 to June 2026, specifically targeted networks such as Black Axe that are responsible for a significant share of global cyber-enabled financial fraud, according to INTERPOL.
These groups typically operate through romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams, and business email compromise fraud. Consequently, investigators identified 196 individuals linked to a major crime-as-a-service network that provided website domains and money laundering support to West African criminal groups.
Seventeen arrests have been made in connection with that network. Meanwhile, authorities raided seven locations in Johannesburg for running romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.
The syndicate functioned like a legitimate organization, assigning members roles such as “conversion” or “retention” agents. Another sophisticated investment scam operating from a call center in Romania promised high returns in stocks and cryptocurrency assets.
The funds were diverted to wallets controlled by fraudsters, resulting in an estimated €143 million stolen and laundered globally. Police arrested 11 individuals and seized approximately €330,000 ($379,000) in cash and cryptocurrency, six real estate properties, and several luxury watches.
Additionally, one person was identified in relation to a pan-European money laundering network that used shell companies and remittance services to obscure fund origins. A single account laundered €845,000 (about $736,000) across 560 transactions using 20 different financial instruments.
Tomonobu Kaya, director of the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said: “Operation Jackal IV demonstrates the power of international cooperation. By following illicit financial flows across borders, we are attacking the very lifeblood of organized crime.”
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