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Operation Jackal IV led to the arrest of 58 people and 263 identified suspects.
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The operation ran for eight months and covered 22 countries and six continents.
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Operation Jackal IV solved several cybercrime cases. It disrupted romance scams, fake investment schemes, money laundering schemes, sextortion, etc.
Police have arrested 58 people in a global sting targeting West African crime rings called Operation Jackal IV. This operation went on for 8 months, from Nov. 2025 to Jun. 2026. To make it a success, INTERPOL and police from 22 different countries, across 6 continents, worked together.
The police traced and confiscated stolen money, tracked down major suspects, seized assets, and backed up court cases and arrests. Police also dug into connections between gangs operating in different countries.
In the end, investigators identified 263 suspects during the operation. The cases focused on online fraud, money laundering and other crimes tied to West African groups.
INTERPOL said groups such as Black Axe play a major role in online financial fraud. Their scams can include romance scams, crypto scams, fake investment deals and business email fraud.
Tomonobu Kaya, head of INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, said police were following the money that keeps these groups in business.
Argentina Finds a Crime Service Network
Argentinian police found a large network that helped other crime groups run their schemes. Officers identified 196 people linked to the network. INTERPOL said the group supplied website domains and money laundering help to West African crime groups.
The case led to 17 arrests. It shows how crime groups can buy help from other criminals. They do not always need to build every part of a scam on their own. This model is known as Crime-as-a-Service. It lets one group sell tools or services to other criminals for a fee.
Some groups also bought these services on the dark web. INTERPOL said they used outside help for tasks such as money laundering.
South Africa Makes 39 Arrests
South Africa made the largest number of arrests reported under Jackal IV. Police raided seven sites in Johannesburg. They arrested 39 individuals connected to one group that scammed older people in English-speaking countries.
They were into romance scams and fake investment schemes. Members had set roles in the scam. Some acted as “conversion” agents. Others worked as “retention” agents after victims had sent money.
Police blocked 257 bank accounts and seized about $2.67 million. INTERPOL also sent a support team to help local police.
Romania Case Tied to €143 Million
Romanian police also broke up an investment scam group. The group ran a call center and promised high returns from stocks and crypto. Victims sent money that the group moved into digital wallets it controlled.
INTERPOL said the scam led to an estimated €143 million being stolen and laundered around the world. Cops apprehended 11 persons and seized around €330,000 in both crypto and cash. They also confiscated 6 properties and a lot of luxury watches.
Italy found another money laundering case. Police identified one person linked to a group that moved money through shell firms, money transfer services, and cash withdrawals. One bank account handled €845,000 in 560 deals. The money moved through 20 types of financial tools, according to INTERPOL.
Sextortion Targets Children
Jackal IV also found a rise in sextortion linked to West African crime groups. INTERPOL said some victims were as young as 14. In these cases, criminals contact children on social media. They build trust and push the child to share sexual images or videos.
The criminal then threatens to send the images to the victim’s friends or family. The criminal demands money to keep the images private. INTERPOL said some groups now use outside crime services to support these attacks. These services can help with money laundering and other parts of the crime.
Police say the work is not over. Many cases remain open, and more suspects may face action as police review data. The 263 people found in the case do not all face arrest. Some may need more proof before police can act.
The focus on money matters. Crime groups need banks, wallets, cash agents and other services to move stolen funds. Cutting those links can make it harder for groups to keep their scams running. INTERPOL said the cases show how crime groups share skills, tools and contacts across borders.
Jackal IV Follows Other Major Raids
Operation Jackal IV is the latest in a series of police actions against West African crime groups. Operation Jackal III in 2024 preceded Operation Jackal IV. It covered 21 countries and championed about 300 arrests, with over 400 identified suspects. Cops traced the money trails too, freezing more than 720 bank accounts and seizing close to three million US dollars.
Then there’s INTERPOL’s Operation Red Card 2.0, which happened between early December 2025 and late January 2026. Law enforcement in sixteen African countries got involved; they arrested 651 folks and recovered over $4.3 million.
Also, in July, INTERPOL released the results for the 2026 Operation First Light. The action involved 97 countries and led to 5,811 arrests. Police also stopped or seized $293 million in illegal funds and assets.
INTERPOL’s Operation Cyborg MENA brought together nine Middle Eastern and North African countries, leading to 201 arrests, $1.7 million in seized criminal assets, and the confiscation of hundreds of devices linked to phishing and business email compromise.
The operation identified more than 142,000 fraud victims. By tracing those links, police can go after more than the person who talks to the victim. They can also target the people who move the money and sell services to crime groups.
