Fraud centre raid was locally led, Ghana rejects FBI claims

Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has rejected suggestions that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) independently led a recent operation against suspected cybercrime centres in the country, insisting that the exercise was planned and coordinated by Ghanaian authorities.

The Authority said “Operation Blackout”, also known as “Operation Cyber Hunt”, was conducted under Ghanaian leadership with support from domestic and international law enforcement agencies.

In a statement on its X handle on Friday, the CSA said it had taken note of a post on X by FBI Director Kashyap Pramod Patel concerning the operation.

“The Authority rejects any portrayal of the operation as independently conceived, commanded or executed by the FBI,” the statement said.

According to the CSA, the operation was led and coordinated by the Authority, with support from Ghana’s National Security Council, the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the FBI, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Office of the Attorney-General.

The Authority maintained that the operation was carried out within Ghana’s legal and institutional frameworks, stressing that foreign law enforcement agencies could not independently exercise police powers or conduct arrests in the country.

“Ghanaian authorities planned, coordinated and executed the operation within Ghana’s legal and institutional frameworks,” the statement said, adding that the exercise was not conducted under foreign operational command.

The CSA, however, acknowledged the contributions of its international partners, particularly the FBI and the UK’s National Crime Agency, in providing intelligence to support the investigation.

“The CSA acknowledges the valuable intelligence contributions of the FBI and the NCA,” the statement said.

It added that international partnerships remained important in tackling transnational cybercrime but insisted that the respective roles of participating agencies must be accurately represented.

“The CSA calls upon the FBI to clarify its public account of the Ghana-led operation and acknowledge the contributions of the Ghanaian institutions and other international partners responsible for its execution,” the statement added.

The dispute over the operation’s leadership comes after the exercise uncovered suspected cybercrime centres in parts of Ghana’s Greater Accra Region, resulting in the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people suspected of being trafficked and exploited for online fraud.

According to the CSA, the operation followed intelligence received on August 26, 2026, indicating that 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 recovered during the operation included 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, internet connection devices, four motor vehicles and other digital equipment. One of the vehicles was reportedly stolen from Canada. Investigators also recovered jewellery and 10 Nigerian passports.

The Authority said most of the rescued victims were Nigerians and that arrangements were being made for their repatriation, while investigations into the suspects and seized electronic devices continued.

Reaffirming the country’s commitment to fighting cybercrime, the CSA said Ghana would not become a safe haven for criminal networks.

The statement added that protecting victims, preserving evidence, respecting due process and prosecuting offenders remained central to the country’s efforts to combat cyber-enabled crime.

The authority said it remained available for constructive engagement to ensure that public accounts of the operation accurately reflected the contributions of all participating agencies.(Punch)