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Police units across the globe have joined forces in a series of covert operations targeting one of West Africa’s most feared criminal networks—Black Axe. Between April and July 2024, Operation Jackal III, coordinated by Interpol, saw officers in body armor raid locations in 21 countries, leading to the arrest of 300 individuals linked to Black Axe and affiliated groups.
Interpol hailed the operation as a “major blow” to the Nigerian crime syndicate, but cautioned that Black Axe’s international reach and technological sophistication make it a persistent global threat. Canadian authorities, for example, uncovered a money-laundering scheme connected to Black Axe worth over $5 billion in 2017, highlighting the group’s extensive operations.
“They are very organized and structured,” said Tomonobu Kaya, a senior official at Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre. A 2022 Interpol report stated that Black Axe and similar groups are responsible for the majority of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud, alongside other serious crimes. Mr. Kaya noted that innovations in money-transfer software and cryptocurrency have empowered these syndicates, which are notorious for orchestrating multi-million-dollar online scams.
“These criminal networks are early adopters of new technologies. A lot of fintech developments make it really easy to move money illegally around the world,” he added.
Operation Jackal III, years in the making, led to the seizure of $3 million in illegal assets and the freezing of more than 700 bank accounts. Many Black Axe members are university-educated and recruited during their schooling, contributing to the group’s clandestine and sophisticated operations in trafficking, prostitution, and cybercrime, which has become its largest revenue source.
Since 2022, multiple “Jackal” police operations have resulted in dozens of arrests and the seizure of electronic devices, enabling Interpol to build a vast intelligence database shared with officers in 196 member countries. “We need data and to collate findings from these countries to build a picture of their modus operandi,” said Mr. Kaya. However, some experts argue that more needs to be done to address the root causes of these crime syndicates in West Africa.
“The emphasis must be on prevention, not just operations against these criminal groups,” said Dr. Oluwole Ojewale, West Africa Regional Coordinator at the Institute for Security Studies. Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies with 87 million people living below the poverty line, is the main recruitment ground for Black Axe. Despite widespread anti-corruption protests in the country, corruption and alleged collusion between Black Axe and local authorities remain significant challenges.
“It is the politicians who are arming these boys,” said Dr. Ojewale. “The general failure of governance in the country has created pressure for people to be initiated into Black Axe.”
Interpol has been conducting training exercises with key Nigerian stakeholders and police officials to combat these challenges. Despite its global reach, Black Axe’s exposure began in Ireland. In 2020, police raids by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) led to the arrest of several Black Axe members, uncovering a far-reaching network.
“They were very under the radar, very low-key,” said Michael Cryan, Detective Superintendent at the GNECB. The amount of money laundered through Ireland was “astronomical,” with €200 million stolen online over the past five years, a figure that only accounts for the 20% of cyber-crimes believed to be reported.
“Bank robberies are now done with laptops—they’re far more sophisticated,” Det. Supt. Cryan added. Operations in November 2023 revealed that cryptocurrency is becoming integral to Black Axe’s money-laundering activities, with over €1 million in crypto-assets seized during one operation.
In response, Interpol has deployed new technology, including the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments system (I-GRIP), which allows authorities to freeze bank accounts worldwide with unprecedented speed. Last month, this system was used to halt a $40 million scam targeting a Singaporean business.
As global police efforts intensify, the focus remains on gathering and sharing intelligence on Black Axe and other West African syndicates. “If we can gather this data, we can take action,” said Mr. Kaya.
