INTERPOL published preliminary results from an eight-month operation targeting West African organized crime groups, reporting 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects. The operation involved 22 countries across six continents and focused on disrupting money laundering, tracing assets and supporting investigations into cyber-enabled financial fraud and other serious crimes. South African authorities arrested 39 people, blocked 257 bank accounts and seized USD 2.67 million in raids linked to romance and investment scams. In Argentina, investigators identified 196 people suspected of supporting a Crime-as-a-Service network and made 17 arrests. INTERPOL also highlighted a Romanian investment scam estimated to have stolen and laundered EUR 143 million globally, as well as an Italian case involving EUR 845,000 laundered through a single account across 560 transactions. Many cases remain under investigation. The operation also identified increased use of sextortion against minors, including victims as young as 14, and the outsourcing of money laundering and other criminal functions to Crime-as-a-Service providers, often through the dark web.
2026-08-25INTERPOL
INTERPOL operation against West African organized crime leads to 58 arrests and identification of 263 suspects
INTERPOL reported 58 arrests and the identification of 263 suspects following a 22-country operation against West African organized crime groups. Authorities disrupted major romance, investment and money laundering schemes, including by blocking 257 South African bank accounts and identifying a 196-person Crime-as-a-Service network in Argentina. The operation also found increased sextortion targeting minors and greater outsourcing of criminal activities through the dark web.