South Africa authorities have arrested the suspects, seized R42.5 million, and blocked 257 bank accounts through joint operations with Interpol.
South African authorities have arrested 39 people in Johannesburg and seized about R42.5 million in an operation targeting West African romance and investment scam syndicates.
The arrests formed part of Interpol’s Operation Jackal IV, through which authorities raided several locations in Johannesburg.
The properties were linked to a West African criminal syndicate running romance and investment scams targeting retirees in English-speaking countries.
“The criminal network operated an elaborate structure, with members designated as ‘conversion’ or ‘retention’ agents and tasked with different stages of the scam,” Interpol said.
“An INTERPOL Operational Support Team (OST) was also deployed locally to support South African law enforcement authorities.”
It said authorities seized $2.67 million (R42.5 million), blocked 257 bank accounts, and arrested 39 individuals during the operation.
Launched in November 2025, Operation Jackal IV aims to disrupt money laundering, identify high-value targets, seize assets, and support arrests and prosecutions.
“The operation, which brought together 22 countries from six continents, is a response to the escalating global threat posed by West African criminal networks such as the Black Axe group,” Interpol said.
“Operation Jackal IV demonstrates the power of international cooperation,” Tomonobu Kaya, director of the Interpol Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, added.
The recent arrests in Johannesburg follow the January 2026 arrests of 6 alleged investment scammers and 25 call centre agents in the metro, also through Operation Jackal.
Interpol, the Hawks, the South African Revenue Service Forensic Investigation team, and various South African banks contributed to the operation.
Standard Bank and First National Bank (FNB) were directly involved, and other banks participated through the South African Banking Risk Information Centre (SABRIC).
“Interpol IPSG based in Lyon, France, deployed a senior representative from its Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Directorate,” the Hawks said following the operation.
South African authorities involved included the Gauteng Hawks’ Serious Commercial Crime Investigation, Priority Crime Specialised Investigation, and Tactical Operations Management Section.
The Gauteng Tactical Response Team, Hawks Legal Service, Hawks Communications Services, Gauteng Crime Intelligence, and Gauteng Local Criminal Record Centre also participated.
Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, suspended Provincial Head of the Hawks in Gauteng
According to the Hawks, the January 2026 arrests stemmed from an investigation that began in 2022 and was triggered by statements from 43 victims in Australia.
The statements enabled the Hawks, Interpol, and international law-enforcement partners to launch a coordinated operation.
“It is alleged that the syndicates advertised bogus investment opportunities through various social-media platforms, targeting victims who were close to retirement age,” they said.
The syndicate targeted people with substantial savings who were seeking to grow and preserve their funds.
It allegedly ran “boiler-room” fraud call centres, using call-centre agents to engage with victims online and persuade them to make small investments that falsely appeared to yield high returns.
“Communication would then continue via platforms such as Skype, Messenger, Zoom and WhatsApp, until victims were convinced to invest larger sums of money,” the Hawks said.
Victims were primarily identified in Australia, the United Kingdom, the United States of America, Canada, and New Zealand.
“It is further alleged that the syndicates registered multiple companies to facilitate the leasing of premises where the criminal activities were conducted,” the South African Police Service said.
“To conceal their operations, the suspects would allegedly change locations every three to six months, along with their registered company entities.”
The company registrations were used to open banking facilities. Syndicates leveraged slick brand names, professional-appearing logos, sophisticated websites, and false testimonials to convince victims.
“As a result of these fraudulent activities, more than 40 victims were prejudiced, suffering losses amounting to undisclosed millions of rands,” the Hawks said, adding that investigations were ongoing.
Then-provincial head of the Hawks in Gauteng, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa, commended the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) for its rapid response and capabilities.
