CSA REJECTS FBI’S CLAIM …Insists Ghana led cybercrime operation

The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has rejected any suggestion that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) independently conceived, commanded or executed the recent cybercrime crackdown in Ghana, insisting that the operation was planned and led by Ghanaian authorities.

The Authority’s response follows a post by FBI Director Kash Patel on the FBI’s global anti-scam campaign, known as “Operation Blackout”, which reported that more than 130 people had been arrested or detained in Ghana, with nearly US$10 million in identified losses and more than 300 electronic devices seized.

In a statement, the CSA said the Ghana operation, also known as “Operation Cyber Hunt”, was led and coordinated by the Authority, with support from Ghanaian security agencies and international law enforcement partners.

It said the operation was conducted within Ghana’s legal and institutional frameworks and was not carried out under foreign operational command.

EIGHT SUSPECTS ARRESTED

The CSA disclosed that the operation uncovered suspected cybercrime centres at locations in parts of the Greater Accra Region, leading to the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people suspected of being trafficked and exploited for online fraud.

According to the Authority, intelligence received on August 26, 2026, indicated that several apartments at Ubuntu Haven Estate in Kpone Katamanso, Franko Estate in Ga North and other locations in Ga West were allegedly being used as bases for organised cybercrime, including romance scams.

Items seized during the operation included 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, internet connectivity devices, four motor vehicles and other digital equipment.

One of the vehicles was reported to have been stolen from Canada.

The search team also recovered high-value items, including jewellery and 10 Nigerian passports.

The CSA said authorities were working to repatriate the rescued victims, most of whom were identified as Nigerians, while investigations into the suspects and seized digital devices continued.

The figures released by the CSA distinguish between eight suspects arrested and 120 people rescued, many of whom authorities suspect were victims of trafficking and exploitation.

FBI, UK AGENCY SUPPORTED OPERATION

The Authority said the operation involved Ghana’s National Security Council, the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Office of the Attorney-General.

International partners included the UK’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the FBI, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime (OCTC).

While acknowledging the intelligence contributions of the FBI and the NCA, the CSA said public accounts of the operation must accurately reflect the roles of all participating institutions.

It called on the FBI to clarify its account of the Ghana operation and acknowledge the contributions of the Ghanaian agencies and other international partners involved in its execution.

CSA CITES GHANA’S SOVEREIGNTY

The Authority stressed that Ghana’s status as a sovereign republic meant that foreign law enforcement agencies could not independently exercise police powers or conduct arrests within the country.

It said foreign agencies must operate through lawful cooperation and with the authorisation and involvement of the relevant Ghanaian authorities.

The CSA maintained that international partnerships remained essential to tackling transnational cybercrime but insisted that such cooperation must respect Ghana’s laws, institutions and operational authority.

It said Ghana remained committed to dismantling cybercrime networks, protecting the public from online fraud and strengthening intelligence-led investigations, inter-agency coordination, digital forensics and international cooperation.

The Authority added that victim protection, the preservation of evidence, due process and the prosecution of offenders remained central to its work.

Investigations into the suspected cybercrime centres and the digital devices seized during Operation Cyber Hunt are ongoing.

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