Interpol’s Operation Jackal III: Global Crackdown on Black Axe Yields 300 Arrests

In a sweeping global police operation dubbed “Jackal III,” the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has arrested over 300 individuals connected to the notorious Black Axe and other affiliated criminal organizations, according to reports from the BBC.

This significant achievement was the result of a coordinated effort by police units across 21 countries, who conducted covert raids between April and July 2024. The operation specifically targeted Black Axe, a West African criminal network feared for its involvement in various illegal activities.

INTERPOL hailed Operation Jackal III as a major setback for the transnational crime network but cautioned that Black Axe’s global reach and advanced technological capabilities still pose a significant threat. In a notorious case cited by Canadian authorities, a money-laundering scheme linked to Black Axe was exposed in 2017, with transactions exceeding $5 billion.

Tomonobu Kaya, a senior official at INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, highlighted the sophisticated structure of these criminal syndicates. Kaya noted that advancements in money-transfer software and cryptocurrency have enabled groups like Black Axe to engage in multi-million-dollar online scams, stating, “These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies… Fintech developments have made it easier for them to move money illegally around the world.”

A 2022 INTERPOL report identified Black Axe and similar groups as responsible for the majority of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud, among other serious crimes. Operation Jackal III, years in the making, led to the seizure of $3 million in illegal assets and the freezing of over 700 bank accounts. Many Black Axe members, often university-educated, are recruited during their schooling, and the organization is known for its involvement in human trafficking, prostitution, and violent crimes.

Despite these arrests, experts argue that more needs to be done to address the root causes of these criminal syndicates in West Africa. Dr. Oluwole Ojewale, the West Africa Regional Coordinator for the Institute for Security Studies, emphasized the need for preventive measures rather than solely relying on operations. He pointed out that Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies with 87 million people living below the poverty line, remains a primary recruitment ground for Black Axe.

Ojewale also highlighted the challenges posed by corruption and alleged collusion between Black Axe and local authorities in Nigeria, stating, “It is the politicians who are actually arming these boys.” He further criticized the general failure of governance in Nigeria, which has fueled the pressures leading to Black Axe initiations.

Operation Jackal’s origins trace back to Ireland, where a series of police raids in 2020 by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) exposed a broader network of Black Axe members. Detective Superintendent Michael Cryan of the GNECB noted that approximately €200 million have been stolen online in Ireland over the past five years, with only a fraction of cyber-crimes reported.

Cryan also revealed that cryptocurrency has become a key element in Black Axe’s money-laundering operations, with over €1 million in crypto-assets seized during a November 2023 operation. In response, INTERPOL has launched the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments system (I-GRIP), a new technology designed to freeze bank accounts globally with unprecedented speed, a mechanism already used to prevent a $40 million scam targeting a Singaporean business.

Kaya concluded by emphasizing the importance of gathering and sharing intelligence on Black Axe and other West African syndicates, stating, “If we can gather this data, we can take action.”