The International Criminal Police Organization has arrested over 300 people linked to one of West Africa’s most feared criminal networks, Black Axe, and other affiliated groups.
The arrests were part of a series of covert operations called “Operation Jackal III,” conducted in 21 countries between April and July 2024.
According to a report by the BBC, Interpol said that Black Axe is a highly organized cybercrime group responsible for some of the world’s most severe cyber-enabled financial fraud and other serious crimes. The operation also led to the seizure of $3 million in illegal assets and the freezing of more than 700 bank accounts.
Interpol called the operation a “major blow” to the Nigerian crime network, but warned about its worldwide reach and technological sophistication. “These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies,” said Tomonobu Kaya, a senior official at Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre. “A lot of fintech developments make it easy to illegally move money around the world.”
Black Axe is known for trafficking, prostitution, and killing, but its main source of revenue is cybercrime. Many of its members are university-educated, recruited into the group while in school. In a 2022 report, Interpol stated, “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.”
Operation Jackal III is part of a series of police operations that began in 2022. These raids have led to the arrest of dozens of Black Axe members and the seizure of their electronic devices. In one notable case, Canadian authorities uncovered a money-laundering scheme linked to Black Axe worth over $5 billion in 2017.
To combat these sophisticated criminal groups, Interpol has launched the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments system, allowing authorities in its 196 member countries to freeze bank accounts quickly. This system was used in July 2024 to stop a $40 million scam targeting a Singaporean business.
“We need to have data and to collate our findings from these countries to help build a picture of their modus operandi,” Kaya explained. “If we can gather this data, we can take action.”
Dr. Oluwole Ojewale, West Africa Regional Coordinator from the Institute for Security Studies, criticized the government for failing to curb groups like Black Axe. He claimed, “The general failure of governance in the country has put pressure on people to be initiated into the Black Axe. It is the politicians who are arming these boys.”
President Bola Tinubu has pledged increased support for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to enhance its capacity to fight digital crimes. However, he also condemned the “mislabelling and blanket stereotyping” of Nigeria as a country with a high prevalence of cybercrime.
In November 2023, the Nigerian Senate expressed concerns over the annual loss of $500 million to various forms of cybercrime and warned that insufficient funding for the national cybersecurity program could hinder the growth of the digital economy.
The origins of Interpol’s Jackal Operations trace back to Ireland in 2020, where the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau identified 1,000 people linked to Black Axe and arrested several members, uncovering a much broader network.
Michael Cryan, a detective superintendent at the GNECB, stated, “They were very under the radar, very low-key. The amount of money being laundered through Ireland was astronomical. Bank robberies are now done with laptops – they are far more sophisticated.”
Cryan estimated that €200 million had been stolen online in Ireland over the past five years, which is only a fraction of the cybercrimes believed to be reported.
