Police arrest 58 in 22-country Operation Jackal IV cybercrime crackdown
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Law enforcement agencies from 22 countries arrested 58 suspects and identified 263 individuals linked to West African cybercrime networks in Operation Jackal IV. The operation, which ran from November 2025 to June 2026, targeted the Black Axe syndicate and disrupted a Crime-as-a-Service network. Argentinian, South African, Romanian, and Italian authorities made arrests and seized $2.67 million.
Key Facts
- Operation Jackal IV involved law enforcement from 22 countries and ran from November 2025 to June 2026.
- Argentinian authorities made 17 arrests and linked 196 suspects to a Crime-as-a-Service network.
- South African authorities arrested 39 individuals, blocked 257 bank accounts, and seized $2.67 million.
- Romanian police arrested 11 suspects linked to a call center running investment scams.
- Italian authorities identified one suspect linked to a pan-European money laundering network.
Operation Jackal IV
Operation Jackal IV targeted West African criminal networks, including the Black Axe cybercrime syndicate, between November 2025 and June 2026. The operation involved law enforcement agencies from 22 countries and led to 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects. Black Axe is known for cyber-enabled financial fraud, including romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams, and business email compromise. INTERPOL stated that some criminal syndicates procured Crime-as-a-Service from external providers via the dark web to outsource money laundering and other operations.
Country-Level Arrests
Argentinian law officers made 17 arrests and linked 196 suspects to a Crime-as-a-Service network providing web domains and money-laundering support to West African organized crime groups. South African authorities arrested 39 individuals, blocked 257 bank accounts, and seized $2.67 million from a syndicate targeting retirees in English-speaking countries with investment and romance scams. Romanian police arrested 11 suspects linked to a call center that lured victims with promises of high returns in stocks or cryptocurrencies. Italian authorities identified one suspect connected to a pan-European money laundering network that used shell companies, remittance services, and cash withdrawals.
Related Interpol Operations
Between December 8 and January 30, African authorities arrested 651 suspects in Operation Red Card 2.0, an Interpol-coordinated action spanning 16 countries. In July, INTERPOL announced that Operation First Light 2026 led to 5,811 arrests and the seizure of $293 million in illicit assets across 97 countries.
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Police arrest 58 in 22-country Operation Jackal IV cybercrime crackdown
