The National Crime Agency (NCA) hosted an operation in London from 6th to 9th October, 2026, where about 30 suspected scammers were arrested in Ghana and Nigeria, and 3.7 million online profiles and accounts removed.
This effort, as part of a coordinated international operation targeting fraud groups operating from West Africa, brought together more than 100 representatives from overseas law enforcement agencies and technology companies.
Participants included officers from the FBI, Nigeria Police Force, Ghanaian Cyber Security Authority and other agencies from the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group, alongside representatives from companies including Meta, Microsoft and Google.
Operations focused on fraudsters in Ghana and Nigeria who used social media profiles to target victims with investment and impersonation scams.
According to Nick Sharp, Deputy Director of fraud at the National Crime Agency, fraud is a global problem that requires partnership across borders.
He said, “Hosting such a rich and dedicated team of law enforcement and technology companies at NCA’s headquarters enabled us to utilize the power of partnerships and strike back at a significant set of criminals who inflict misery on thousands of victims of fraud.”
He also noted that such collaborations highlights the “combined capabilities of law enforcement and industry” and that they will relentlessly pursue criminals and the infrastructure they rely on no matter where they operate.
In Sasaabi, Accra- Ghana, 19 people were arrested and 303 electronic devices were seized during the week, with 117 people identified as trafficking victims pending return to Nigeria.
Also in Nigeria’s Delta State, nine people were arrested and six laptops, 35 phones and 12 routers seized.
A multi- agency action, led by the Ghana Cyber Security Authority with support from the NCA, Ghana Police Service, FBI and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission had earlier conducted related operations that resulted in further arrests, the identification of trafficking victims and the seizure of 85 phones and 44 laptops.
Data from Report Fraud, shared with Meta helped disable more than 1,110 West African Facebook and Instagram accounts, while additional accounts, ad accounts and scam domains were taken down.
FBI Director, Kash Patel revealed that the operation resulted in dozens of arrests, the seizure of hundreds of devices and the identification of at least $11 million in potentially freezable funds.
“This is what happens when law enforcement executes with precision across the interagency. We are demolishing Scam Centers across the globe and crushing a criminal industry preying on American citizens”, he added.
Source: National Crime Agency, UK
