An operation against online scam centres in Ghana has led to more than 130 people being detained and uncovered nearly 10 million dollars in losses. Beyond the results, however, it is the question of who deserves the credit that has stirred controversy, with Accra accusing the FBI director of claiming the success for his agency.
FBI Director Kash Patel unveiled the results on Thursday, October 8, on the social network X. According to him, more than 130 people were arrested or detained in Ghana, 89 victims were identified and more than 300 electronic devices were seized. He presented the raids as the latest chapter of Operation Blackout, a global FBI campaign against scam centres suspected of targeting American citizens in particular.
Investigators are pursuing networks specialising in digital fraud, using methods ranging from fake cryptocurrency investments to financial scams and personal data theft. The figure of 130 does not refer only to suspects, however. Some of those held may themselves be victims of these networks, and the FBI says some are due to be repatriated. The items seized include 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, internet equipment, four vehicles, jewellery and ten Nigerian passports. The operation followed intelligence received in August about apartments being used for organised cybercrime, including romance scams.
The American account drew a sharp response in Accra. Ghana’s Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations, Samuel Nartey George, replied directly to Kash Patel on X. He said Ghanaian law enforcement and intelligence agencies led the operations, known locally as Cyberhunt, with primary support from Britain’s National Crime Agency and the FBI. Suggesting that the FBI acted alone, he argued, undermines the prospects for future cooperation. He even urged the American director to reflect on the benefits of that partnership.
The minister set out how the operation unfolded. Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA), which falls under his ministry, carried out a series of raids between September 25 and 28 alongside the Criminal Investigations Department of the police and officers from the National Security Secretariat. He insists that no FBI agents took part in the raids on the ground and stresses that the investigation is still under way.
For his part, Kash Patel used his announcement to tout the overall record of Operation Blackout. He cited around 17 billion dollars in seizures, hundreds of arrests and thousands of trafficked workers freed, as well as more than 10,000 Americans warned before they lost money. These figures cover the entire global campaign, not Ghana alone.
The case shows how far cybercrime has spread across the continent. In February, Operation Red Card 2.0, led by Interpol with police forces from 16 African countries, resulted in 651 arrests over losses exceeding 45 million dollars. Interpol estimated at the time that one in three crimes committed in Africa was now linked to cybercrime. Ghanaian investigators are now working to identify the organisers of the dismantled networks and to recover the stolen money.