An eight-month international operation coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has led to the arrest of 58 suspects and the identification of 263 others linked to West African organised crime networks.
INTERPOL disclosed in a statement on Tuesday that the operation involved 22 countries, including Nigeria, South Africa, Côte d’Ivoire, France, the US and the UK. The operation ran from November 2025 to June 2026.
The operation was tagged Operation Jackal IV.
It focused on West African money-laundering networks, such as the Black Axe, an international confraternity with Nigerian roots, and high-value criminal targets considered a global threat.
“The operation, which brought together 22 countries from six continents, is a response to the escalating global threat posed by West African criminal networks – such as the Black Axe and other similar groups.
