The U.S. authorities have announced the arrest of 28 alleged fraudsters in Ghana and Nigeria in a massive crackdown on “transnational criminal scam networks operating from West Africa.”

The fraudster networks operating in West Africa “suffered major disruptions last week during a coordinated operation launched by the U.S. and local forces in the region, the U.S. Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, in collaboration with local anti-graft agencies in Ghana and Nigeria, made 28 arrests in the last week of September, “Joint Disruption Week”, an effort that produced arrests, seizures, and the largest-ever takedown of fraudulent social media accounts linked to scam centres in the region.”

“In Ghana, in the Accra suburb of Sasaabi, authorities arrested 19 individuals and seized 303 electronic devices. In addition, authorities identified 117 victims of human trafficking that are now pending repatriation to Nigeria,” the DoJ said. 

It added, “In Nigeria, authorities arrested nine individuals during the enforcement period and seized 53 electronic devices.”

The DoJ also noted that “During the week beginning October 6, investigators and industry partners exchanged real-time intelligence across jurisdictions, enabling rapid identification and disruption of scam centres in Nigeria, Ghana, and other African countries.”

According to the DoJ, an additional 89 victims of the scam were identified with an approximate loss of $8.3 million. 

During the last week of September alone, authorities made scores of arrests at six locations, identified 34 trafficking victims, and seized 129 electronic devices. 

FBI Director Kash Patel lauded the operation as a “brilliant partnership with the Department of Justice and the private sector across multiple African countries”.

The FBI czar said, “We arrested dozens of criminal actors, seized hundreds of devices, identified at least $11 million in potentially freezable funds, and truly saved lives.”