Operation Jackal: 58 Arrests Expose the Money Laundering Machine Behind Global Scams

INTERPOL’s Operation Jackal IV (November 2025–June 2026) disrupted global money‑laundering networks linked to West African criminal groups (including Black Axe), resulting in 58 arrests, identification of 263 suspects across 22 countries, and significant seizures and frozen accounts; notable cases included a Romania-run investment/crypto fraud (~€143M estimated loss), an Argentina-linked crime-as-a-service network, and large-scale romance/investment scams and sextortion targeting minors. The operation exposed organized, role-specialized criminal business models, use of crime-as-a-service on the dark web, sophisticated financial fragmentation to launder funds, and an uptick in sextortion of minors as young as 14.