INTERPOL operation targets terror and crime in West Africa, dozens arrested

A major INTERPOL operation in West Africa has resulted in 62 arrests and the seizure of weapons, explosives, drugs, counterfeit medicines, and stolen vehicles.

Operation Screen West Africa 2025, which ran from July to October, involved law enforcement from 12 countries, including Ghana, Nigeria, Burkina Faso, and Côte d’Ivoire. Officers used INTERPOL’s global databases to carry out 1.7 million real-time checks at land, air, and sea borders.

Nine people were arrested for suspected links to terrorism, including three in Burkina Faso connected to the Al-Qaeda-affiliated JNIM group, responsible for a 2020 attack in Côte d’Ivoire that killed more than ten security personnel. Six others were arrested in Mauritania over suspected terrorist activities.

The operation also rescued 21 victims of human trafficking in Ghana who had been held in Nigeria and exploited in fraudulent schemes. Authorities seized explosives, dynamite, 136 stolen vehicles, 731 kg of cannabis, counterfeit medicines, fake currency, and fraudulent documents. Some of these items could have been used to fund terrorism or organized crime.

Maritime checks uncovered vessels using deceptive practices, such as switching off identification systems and frequent “flag hopping.”

Cyril Gout, INTERPOL Executive Director of Police Services pro tempore, said the operation showed how cooperation and specialized tools help law enforcement identify suspects and disrupt criminal networks.

The 12 participating countries were Benin, Burkina Faso, Cabo Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Mauritania, Nigeria, Senegal, Sierra Leone, and Togo. The operation was funded by Germany, Denmark, and the United States.

Based on reporting by Africanews.