Police units around the world have joined forces in a series of covert operations targeting one of West Africa\u2019s most feared criminal networks – Black Axe.<\/p>\n
Operation Jackal III saw officers in body armour carry out raids in 21 countries between April and July 2024.<\/p>\n
The mission, co-ordinated by global policing agency Interpol, led to the arrest of 300 people with links to Black Axe and other affiliated groups.<\/p>\n
Interpol called the operation a \u201cmajor blow\u201d to the Nigerian crime network, but warned that its international reach and technological sophistication mean it remains a global threat.<\/p>\n
In one notorious example, Canadian authorities said they had busted a money-laundering scheme linked to Black Axe worth more than $5bn (\u00a33.8bn) in 2017.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are very organised and very structured,\u201d Tomonobu Kaya, a senior official at Interpol\u2019s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, told the BBC.<\/p>\n
According to a 2022 report by Interpol, \u201cBlack Axe and similar groups are responsible for the majority of the world\u2019s cyber-enabled financial fraud as well as many other serious crimes\u201d.<\/p>\n
Mr Kaya said innovations in money-transfer software and cryptocurrency have played into the hands of group, which are renowned for multi-million dollar online scams.<\/p>\n
\u201cThese criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies\u2026 A lot of fintech developments make it really easy to illegally move money around the world,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Operation Jackal III was years in the making and led to the seizure of $3m of illegal assets and more than 700 bank accounts being frozen.<\/p>\n
Many Black Axe members are university educated and are recruited during their schooling.<\/p>\n
The organisation is a secretive criminal network with trafficking, prostitution and killing operations around the world.<\/p>\n
Cyber-crime, targeting individuals and businesses, is the organisation’s largest source of revenue.<\/p>\n
Multiple so-called \u201cJackal\u201d police operations have taken place since 2022.<\/p>\n
Dozens of Black Axe and other gang members have been arrested and their electronic devices seized during these transnational raids. This work has enabled Interpol to create a vast intelligence database, which is now shared with officers throughout its 196 member countries.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe need to have data and to collate our findings from these countries to help build a picture of their modus operandi,\u201d said Mr Kaya.<\/p>\n