The International Criminal Police Organisation has arrested more than 300 people with links to one of West Africa’s most feared criminal networks, Black Axe, and other affiliated groups.
According to a release by the organisation, the operation has led to hundreds of arrests, the seizure of assets worth $3m, and the dismantling of multiple criminal networks around the world.
Operation Jackal III, which ran from 10 April to 3 July across 21 countries on five continents, targeted online financial fraud and the West African syndicates behind it.
Over 400 additional suspects were also identified, including the blocking of more than 720 bank accounts.
President Bola Tinubu, in February 2024, pledged increased support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to increase its capacity to tackle digital offences.
Director of INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC) Isaac Oginni said, “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 putting some of West Africa’s most dangerous organized crime leaders behind bars, we are able to weaken their influence and reduce their capacity to harm communities around the world.”
The Black Axe is a secretive criminal network involved in trafficking, prostitution and killing operations around the world. However, cybercrime is the group’s largest source of revenue.
The report noted that several members of the dreaded group are university-educated and were recruited into the group during their schooling.
In a 2022 report by Interpol, it said, “Black Axe and similar groups are responsible for the majority of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud as well as many other serious crimes.”
Interpol said it had launched the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments system which enables the authorities in its 196-member countries to freeze bank accounts around the world with unprecedented speed.
The mechanism was used to halt a $40m scam targeting a Singaporean business in July 2024, the police said.
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