Fifty-eight individuals have been arrested across 22 countries as part of an eight-month international cybercrime operation, Interpol announced. The arrests are the latest phase of Operation Jackal, a multi-year effort to dismantle cybercriminal organizations globally. This specific leg, dubbed Operation Jackal IV, ran from November 2025 to June 2026.
The coordinated law enforcement actions took place in countries including Argentina, Italy, Romania, and South Africa. Investigators identified hundreds of additional suspects and disrupted money laundering networks, seizing assets and supporting local arrests.
In Argentina, 17 people were arrested for their alleged involvement in a crime-as-a-service network. This network, reportedly comprising 196 individuals, provided website domains and money laundering services to West African organized crime groups, including Black Axe. Black Axe is a prominent cybercrime gang that international law enforcement has been targeting for over five years, known for its involvement in various financial frauds.
South African authorities conducted raids at seven locations in Johannesburg, leading to 39 arrests. The individuals targeted were allegedly running romance and investment scams primarily aimed at elderly victims in English-speaking countries. These raids resulted in the seizure of approximately $2.7 million.
In Romania, 11 individuals were arrested in connection with a cryptocurrency investment scam operation run through a call center. Investigators uncovered $166 million in stolen and laundered funds held in electronic wallets controlled by this operation. Seizures in Romania included about $379,000, along with multiple properties and luxury watches.
An additional money launderer was identified in Italy for using shell companies, remittance services, and cash withdrawals to facilitate illicit financial flows. Interpol officials emphasized that the operation successfully traced these financial flows across borders, which are considered crucial to organized crime operations.
Groups like Black Axe are implicated in a significant portion of global cyber-enabled financial fraud, including romance scams, cryptocurrency and investment scams, and business email compromise (BEC) fraud. These groups are also linked to other serious and violent crimes.
Beyond the arrests and seizures, Operation Jackal IV uncovered concerning trends in cybercrime, notably a rise in sextortion tactics targeting minors. These groups reportedly contact children as young as 14 on social media or gaming platforms, build trust, and then coerce them into sharing intimate photographs, which are subsequently used for blackmail.
International law enforcement agencies, including those in the U.S., have been actively targeting Black Axe and similar syndicates since 2021. A previous phase of Operation Jackal in 2024 led to over 300 arrests across West Africa, Argentina, and other regions. More recently, in April, Swiss and German law enforcement arrested 10 suspected members of Black Axe during raids in their respective countries.
