Gardaí arrest 63 as part of global operation targeting West African crime groups

Gardaí said 63 people were arrested as part of the operation.

More than 60 people in Ireland have been arrested as part of an Interpol operation targeting West African organised crime groups, including the Black Axe group.

Black Axe is one of the most prominent West African crime syndicates, with operations in cyber fraud, human trafficking, drug smuggling, and violent crimes both within Africa and globally.

In conjunction with Interpol and law enforcement agencies from 21 different countries, gardaí carried out an enforcement activity under Operation Jackal.

Searches and arrests were carried out by gardaí from Tallaght, Tralee, Waterford, Portlaoise, Coolock, Blanchardstown, Tipperary, Galway, Lucan, Ballyfermot and Clondalkin.

Gardaí said 63 people were arrested as part of the operation. 17 people were charged and six people were dealt with under the Juvenile Diversion Programme.

A number of items were also seized during the 37 separate searches.

These items included 11 phones and two cars, which were suspected of having been purchased with stolen or laundered money.

Furthermore, 17 bank accounts were blocked under suspicion of being opened under false names, and €81,133 and $260,953 in cryptocurrency was also seized.

One of the cars that was seized by gardaí.

Interpol said the operation was run from 10 April to 3 July across 21 countries on five continents.

The annual operation resulted in some 300 arrests, the seizure of assets worth $3m, the identification of over 400 additional suspects, and the blocking of more than 720 bank accounts.

Interpol's Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre director Isaac Oginni said that the volume of financial fraud stemming from West Africa is "alarming and increasing".

"This operation’s results underscore the critical need for international law enforcement collaboration to combat these extensive criminal networks.

“By identifying suspects, recovering illicit funds and putting some of West Africa’s most dangerous organized crime leaders behind bars, we are able to weaken their influence and reduce their capacity to harm communities around the world."

Operation Jackal, which is known as Operation Skein in Ireland, last year saw 33 people in Ireland arrested and charged for money laundering. One person was arrested and charged with gangland offences and money laundering.

More than €400,000 of stolen monies was recovered for Irish companies.

Operation Jackal outside Ireland

Operation Jackal has also been significant outside of Ireland.

In Argentina, federal police seized $1.2m in 'supernotes' — high-quality counterfeit banknotes — arrested 72 people, and froze approximately 100 bank accounts.

The crime network used money mules to open bank accounts worldwide and is now under investigation in over 40 countries for related money laundering activities. 

The suspects include citizens from Argentina, Colombia, Nigeria and Venezuela.

More than 160 fraud victims suffered significant financial losses, with some forced to sell their homes or take out large loans as a result.

Elsewhere, Portuguese criminal police dismantled a Nigerian network involved in money mule recruitment, laundering funds from online financial fraud victims across Europe. 

More than 25 syndicate members were identified in the process.

Data from seized computers and phones revealed large transfers to Nigerian bank accounts, cryptocurrency transactions, and sophisticated money laundering operations.