A vast police operation against mafia groups specializing in internet fraud has been carried out in West Africa by Interpol, the international criminal police organization against organized crime. More than two million euros were seized or frozen. And 103 people were arrested in 21 countries.
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For Interpol, this type of operation has two objectives: to dismantle networks and send a message to criminals. “ Wherever they hide in cyberspace, Interpol will hunt them down relentlessly. “Said one of the leaders of the organization, whose headquarters is in France. Called “Jackal”, the operation took place in the field in May after lengthy investigations.
Ivory Coast, Nigeria, South Africa, France, United States… Agents and investigators were mobilized in 21 countries and on all continents. 1,100 suspects were identified and 103 people were arrested. The people targeted were mafia groups and West African gangs such as “Black Axe”, a sprawling mafia organization specializing in particular in scams via emails, inheritance, credit card fraud and money laundering.
Interpol has indicated its desire to continue and multiply this type of operation to make it a priority. Fraud is on the rise. In 2022, during a previous investigation, nearly 1.5 million euros had already been seized.
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What is Black Axe?
With Joan Tilouine, journalist Célia Lebur published this year Mafia Africa, Nigeria’s new gangsters. This investigation is particularly interested in the mafia group “Black Axe”.
” The Black Ax is one of the cults of these organizations which were born on Nigerian campuses from the 1950s and which will gradually spread throughout Nigerian society. Initially, they are student organizations and in fact, they will gradually deviate into precisely criminal organizations in human trafficking, in cybercrime and in drug trafficking on all continents and which also boast to maintain links with some of the powerful. They fully recognize, moreover, that they ultimately want to approach power, penetrate power, and that they count among their members ministers of state, senators, governors. On this, it is completely assumed. They open new roads all the time. Today, they are extremely present in the United Arab Emirates where they engage in money laundering, cyber fraud and human trafficking. So, really, these are organizations that are able to constantly renew themselves. said Célia Lebur.