By Zuko Komisa

- INTERPOL and local police raided seven Johannesburg premises, arresting 39 suspects in a major crackdown on a West African romance and investment scam syndicate.
- Authorities froze 257 bank accounts and recovered approx. R42.7 million used to target vulnerable retirees in English speaking nations.
- The Joburg raids formed part of Operation Jackal IV, an eight-month multi-agency campaign spanning 22 countries that yielded 58 arrests and uncovered approx. R2.67 billion in global laundered funds.
A major multi-agency operation led by INTERPOL has struck at the heart of organised cybercrime right here in Gauteng, as law enforcement agencies dismantled a sophisticated West African syndicate operating out of Johannesburg.
The eight-month global crackdown, dubbed Operation Jackal IV, led to 58 arrests worldwide, with South Africa accounting for the majority of the busts.
Focusing on localized operations in Johannesburg, local authorities raided seven premises across the metro linked to a syndicate running predatory romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.
The Joburg raids resulted in 39 arrests, the freezing of 257 bank accounts, and the recovery of USD 2.67 million (approx. R42.7 million).
An INTERPOL Operational Support Team worked alongside local investigators on the ground to track financial traces and secure key evidence.
“Operation Jackal IV focused on disrupting money laundering, identifying high-value targets, seizing assets and supporting arrests and prosecutions.”
While Gauteng served as a central hub for the fraud ring, the broader multi-agency campaign spanned 22 countries across six continents.
Elsewhere, Argentine authorities disrupted a “Crime-as-a-Service” network linked to 17 arrests, and Romanian police dismantled an investment fraud ring responsible for laundering EUR 143 million (approx. R2.67 billion) globally. Beyond financial scams, INTERPOL warned that these networks are increasingly using dark web services and targeting younger victims through sextortion schemes.
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