What Did Operation Jackal III Achieve?
Police departments all over have banded together in a novel series of operations to target Black Axe, one of the most infamous criminal groups in West Africa. Under well-coordinated Interpol operation Jackal III, searches spanning 21 nations between April and July 2024 Three hundred people connected to Black Axe and other related groups were arrested out of this operation.
“Operation Jackal III marks a major blow to the Black Axe network,” stated an Interpol spokesman. Still, the organisation poses a significant worldwide danger, given its considerable technological capacity and global connections.
How Has Technology Enhanced Black Axe's Criminal Activities?
With ideas in money-transfer software and cryptocurrencies playing to its advantage, the Black Axe network has shown a savvy use of technology. “These crime syndicates embrace new technology first. Many fintech innovations make it rather simple to unlawfully transfer money over the globe,” an official from Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre said.
According to a 2022 Interpol investigation, Black Axe and similar groups account for a sizable share of the global cyber-enabled financial fraud and several other major crimes. Previously, Canadian officials revealed a $5 billion (£3.8 billion) money-laundering operation connected to Black Axe.
What Was the Impact of Operation Jackal III?
Years in preparation, Operation Jackal III resulted in the freezing of around 700 bank accounts and the seizure of $3 million in illicit funds. The operation has also revealed how primarily dependent the network is on cybercrime for income. Often, university-educated Black Axe members are hired throughout their education and engage in international criminal activity, including trafficking, prostitution, and other forms.
Thanks in significant part to Interpol’s vast efforts, a sizable intelligence database presently available to officials throughout its 196 members is a consequence of “We need to get and compile information from these nations to create a whole picture of their modus operandi,” the Interpol spokesman said.
Why Is More Focus Needed on Prevention Rather Than Operations?
Though foreign operations are successful, experts say more has to be done to address the underlying roots of these criminal syndicates in West Africa. Emphasising preventive rather than direct operations against specific criminal organisations, Dr. Oluwole Ojewale, West Africa Regional Coordinator from the Institute for Security Studies, stressed.
One substantial recruiting base for Black Axe, Nigeria, presents significant obstacles. According to the World Bank, the nation, which just saw large-scale anti-corruption demonstrations, boasts 87 million impoverished people. Corruption and claimed cooperation between Black Axe and local officials complicate efforts to solve the issue. “It is the politicians who are arming these lads,” Dr Ojewale pointed out. “General failure of governance in the country has produced demands for individuals to be introduced [into Black Axe].”
How Did Jackal Operations Begin and Expand?
Jackal Operations from Interpol have their roots in Ireland. Following a string of Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) police operations in 2020, numerous Black Axe members were taken into custody, exposing a far more extensive network. “They were very under the radar, very low-key,” said GNECB detective superintendent Michael Cryan. “The volume of money passing Ireland was astounding.”
Irish officials made hundreds of fraud and cybercrime arrests after seeing 1,000 people connected to Black Axe. With just 20% of cyber-crimes recorded, Detective Superintendent Cryan calculated that €200 million ($220 million; £170 million) had been taken online in Ireland during the preceding five years. “Bank robberies these days are done with laptops; they’re far more sophisticated,” he said.
What Role Does Cryptocurrency Play in Black Axe's Operations?
Recent activities in Ireland show that Black Axe’s money-laundering operations now depend critically on cryptocurrencies. One major investigation resulted in the seizure of around €1 million in cryptocurrency assets. Interpol has proposed the Global Rapid Intervention of Payments System (I-GRIP) to offset these developments. With unheard-of rapidity, this technology lets governments in member nations freeze bank accounts worldwide. The recent technique deployment stopped a $40 million fraud aimed at a Singaporean company.
An Interpol agent said: “The technology will make it harder for criminals to move money across borders with impunity.” Worldwide efforts are underway to compile and distribute intelligence about Black Axe and other West African syndicates. “If we can compile this data, we can act,” the agent said.
