Global Police Forces Unite Against Black Axe Nigerian Mafia

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Police forces around the world have come together in a series of covert operations aimed at dismantling one of West Africa’s most notorious criminal organizations—Black Axe. The latest in these efforts, Operation Jackal III, saw heavily armed officers conducting raids in 21 countries between April and July 2024. This extensive mission, coordinated by Interpol, resulted in the arrest of 300 individuals connected to Black Axe and other affiliated groups. 

 

Interpol hailed the operation as a “major blow” to the Nigerian crime network but cautioned that Black Axe’s vast international reach and technological sophistication continue to make it a global threat. In a striking example of the group’s scale, Canadian authorities uncovered a money-laundering scheme linked to Black Axe worth more than $5 billion (£3.8 billion) in 2017. Tomonobu Kaya, a senior official at Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, described the group as highly organized and structured, emphasizing the ongoing challenges law enforcement faces in combating them.

 

A 2022 Interpol report highlighted the scale of the threat posed by Black Axe and similar groups, noting that they are responsible for the majority of the world’s cyber-enabled financial fraud, as well as numerous other serious crimes. According to Kaya, advancements in money-transfer software and cryptocurrency have provided Black Axe with new tools to facilitate their illicit activities. “These criminal syndicates are early adopters of new technologies,” he explained. “A lot of fintech developments make it really easy to illegally move money around the world.”

 

Operation Jackal III, which had been years in the making, led to the seizure of $3 million in illegal assets and the freezing of over 700 bank accounts. Many members of Black Axe are university-educated individuals who are often recruited during their time in school. The organization, which started as an ultra-violent cult, has evolved into a secretive criminal network with global operations in trafficking, prostitution, and murder. Cybercrime remains its largest source of revenue, with Black Axe targeting individuals and businesses worldwide through sophisticated online scams.

 

Multiple “Jackal” police operations have been conducted since 2022, resulting in the arrest of dozens of Black Axe members and the seizure of electronic devices during transnational raids. These actions have enabled Interpol to compile a vast intelligence database, which is shared with law enforcement agencies across its 196 member countries. “We need to have data and to collate our findings from these countries to help build a picture of their modus operandi,” Kaya said. However, despite these efforts, some experts argue that not enough is being done to address the root causes of these crime syndicates in West Africa.

 

Dr. Oluwole Ojewale, West Africa Regional Coordinator from the Institute for Security Studies, believes that the focus should shift towards prevention rather than solely relying on direct operations against these groups. He pointed out that Nigeria, one of Africa’s largest economies, has been rocked by widespread anti-corruption protests in recent weeks. The country is home to an estimated 87 million people living below the poverty line, according to the World Bank, and has become the main recruitment ground for Black Axe.

 

In response to the ongoing threat, Interpol has begun training exercises with key Nigerian stakeholders and police officials. However, systemic corruption and alleged collusion between Black Axe and local authorities present significant obstacles. “It is the politicians who are actually arming these boys,” said Dr. Ojewale, highlighting how poor governance and societal pressures drive many young Nigerians to join the criminal network. 

 

Despite Black Axe’s current global reach, the origins of Interpol’s Jackal Operations can be traced back to Ireland. In 2020, a series of police raids by the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) led to the arrest of several Black Axe members and exposed a far more extensive network operating in the country. “They were very under the radar, very low-key,” said Michael Cryan, detective superintendent at the GNECB, who spearheaded the initial operation. He described the extent of money laundering through Ireland as “astronomical,” revealing that the police identified around 1,000 people with links to Black Axe and made hundreds of arrests for fraud and cybercrime.

 

Cryan noted that modern financial crimes are far more sophisticated than traditional bank robberies, which are now conducted digitally. “Bank robberies are now done with laptops—they’re far more sophisticated,” he said. Cryan estimated that €200 million ($220 million; £170 million) had been stolen online in Ireland over the past five years, and that only represents about 20% of the reported cybercrimes. “This is not typical or ordinary crime… People who make decisions need to know how serious this is,” he warned.

 

Further police operations in Ireland in November 2023 highlighted the growing role of cryptocurrency in Black Axe’s money-laundering schemes. More than €1 million in crypto-assets were seized during one raid, underscoring the challenges law enforcement faces in tracking and seizing digital currencies. In an effort to counter these technological innovations, Interpol has deployed its own advanced systems, including the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments (I-GRIP). This tool enables authorities in member countries to freeze bank accounts across the globe with unprecedented speed and was recently used to stop a $40 million scam targeting a business in Singapore.

 

Kaya emphasized that such technology is crucial in making it harder for criminals to transfer money across borders undetected. “If we can gather this data, we can take action,” he said, pointing to the ongoing efforts to amass and share intelligence on Black Axe and other West African syndicates among police forces worldwide. However, the battle is far from over, as law enforcement continues to navigate the complex and evolving landscape of international organized crime, where technological advancements can both aid and hinder the pursuit of justice. 

 

The story of Operation Jackal III and the broader struggle against Black Axe serves as a stark reminder of the global scale and sophistication of modern criminal networks. As law enforcement agencies deploy new technologies to fight back, they must also address the underlying social and economic factors that fuel these syndicates, ensuring that the battle against international crime is fought on all fronts.

 

Graphic BBC Documentary on Black Axe: Nigeria’s Mafia Cult

 

 

Credit: BBC 2024-08-30

 

 

 

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[Purdey]

These guys are so clever and tech savvy one has to ask why Africa hasn't developed more. Seems clever guys make more money from crime than office work.

[retarius]

I didn't know there was a global police force. I thought, naively that each country had its own racist police force like England has the Met and the West Yorkshire Racist Police Forces. This simply sounds like more racism to me. Why go after Nigerian mafia when there are plenty of white gangs from the Ukraine and Albania operating in the UK. 

[JonnyF]

2 hours ago, Purdey said:

These guys are so clever and tech savvy one has to ask why Africa hasn't developed more.

 

I'm sure they will get round to it once they have transferred their vast inheritance out of Nigeria due to a frozen account. I'm currently helping the son of a wealthy businessman do the same, but I'm having trouble contacting him since I sent him my bank details.  

 

Wouldn't surprise me if these guys from Operation Jackal were blocking his emails. 

[PETERTHEEATER]

I will report this immediately to the nice Nigerian Prince who emailed me personally inviting me to join his investment scheme. I'm sure his position of power will ensure that this illegal group is eliminated.