Interpol arrests 300 individuals connected with Black Axe, Nigerian-founded confraternity

In a sweeping international operation, Interpol has arrested 300 individuals linked to the notorious Black Axe criminal network, a Nigerian-founded confraternity with a global reach.  

Reports from BBC indicated that the arrests were part of Interpol Operation Jackal III, a coordinated effort conducted between April and July 2024 across 21 countries. 

Tomonobu Kaya, a senior official at Interpol, highlighted the group’s ability to exploit new technologies.

“They are very organised and very structured, 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,” he said 

Black Axe’s technological skills have helped them stay strong on the global stage, making them a tough challenge for international law enforcement. 

Operation Jackal III

Interpol’s Jackal Operations, which began in Ireland, have exposed the extensive operations of Black Axe, including their involvement in cybercrime and money laundering through cryptocurrencies.  

The operation, described by Interpol as a major success, involved law enforcement agencies from around the world working together to target the expansive network of Black Axe and its affiliates. 

In November 2023, Irish police seized over €1 million in crypto-assets linked to Black Axe’s operations, underscoring the group’s reliance on digital currencies to facilitate their illegal activities. During the raids, authorities also seized $3 million in illegal assets and froze over 700 bank accounts.  

These operations have led to the arrest of dozens of Black Axe members and the seizure of vital intelligence, enabling the creation of a comprehensive database shared among Interpol’s 196 member countries.  

This intelligence-sharing network is crucial for understanding and countering the criminal strategies employed by Black Axe and similar groups. 

Despite these successes, experts like Dr. Oluwole Ojewale from the Institute for Security Studies emphasize that prevention should be the primary focus.  

“The emphasis must be on prevention not on outright operations against these criminal groups. It is the politicians who are actually arming these boys 

The general failure of governance in the country has made pressures for people to be initiated [into Black Axe].” said Dr Ojewale. 

Black Axe

Black Axe, originally established as a confraternity at the University of Benin in Nigeria initially aimed to promote African culture and arts has evolved into a global criminal syndicate involved in various illicit activities, including cyber-enabled financial fraud. 

According to Interpol, the group is responsible for the majority of the world’s cyber-financial crimes. In a notable case, Canadian authorities uncovered a $5 billion money-laundering scheme linked to Black Axe in 2017.