Interpol has announced the arrest of 300 suspected members of the Black Axe organization in 21 countries between April and July 2024, as part of Operation Jackal III.
Black Axe has gained notoriety in Nigeria for its involvement in numerous killings and criminal activities.
The group often recruits members from universities.
According to Tomonobu Kaya, a senior official at Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, the operation has dealt a “major blow” to the criminal enterprise, which has been linked to several multi-million dollar online scams.
“They are very organised and very structured,” he said.
“These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies. A lot of fintech developments make it really easy to illegally move money around the world.
“We need to have data and to collate our findings from these countries to help build a picture of their modus operandi.”
The broadcaster said Operation Jackal III led to seizure of $3 million of illegal assets and the freezing of more than 700 bank accounts linked to members of the group.
Despite a series of crackdowns, Black Axe has managed to continue in its criminal activities.
