Interpol cracks down on ‘Black Axe’ cybercrime in 21 countries

The International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) has successfully dismantled one of West Africa’s most notorious criminal networks, Black Axe. More than 300 individuals linked to the network and its affiliated organisations have been arrested.

In a series of covert operations dubbed “Operation Jackal III” carried out across 21 countries between April and July 2024, Interpol revealed that the highly coordinated cybercrime group is responsible for some of the world’s most sophisticated cyber-based financial fraud and a host of other serious crimes, a BBC report said on Wednesday.

Interpol described the operation as a “major blow” to the Nigerian criminal network, highlighting Black Axe’s global reach and technological prowess, and viewing the group as a significant global threat.

The operation led to the seizure of $3 million in illegal assets and the freezing of more than 700 bank accounts linked to the criminal network.

A senior official at Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, Tomonobu Kaya, highlighted the role of financial technology and cryptocurrency in facilitating the activities of these cybercriminal syndicates, which are known for orchestrating multi-million dollar online scams. Kaya noted: “They are highly organized and highly structured. These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies. A lot of fintech developments make it easy to move illicit money around the world.”

The Black Axe, a secret network notorious for its involvement in human trafficking, prostitution and violent crimes worldwide, primarily generates revenue through cybercrime.

Many members have a university education and joined the group during their college years.

Interpol’s 2022 report already identified Black Axe and similar groups as responsible for the majority of global cyber fraud and several other serious crimes.

The recent Operation Jackal III follows several other “Jackal” operations since 2022, which have resulted in numerous arrests and the seizure of electronic devices used in these transnational criminal activities.

In one high-profile case, Canadian authorities in 2017 uncovered a money laundering operation linked to Black Axe, worth a staggering more than $5 billion (£3.8 billion).

Given the complexity of these criminal networks, Interpol stressed the need for advanced technological expertise and personnel to combat them effectively.

To achieve this goal, the organization launched the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments (GRIP) system, which allows authorities in the 196 member states worldwide to freeze bank accounts with unprecedented speed.

This system played a key role in stopping a $40 million scam targeting a Singapore company in July 2024.

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