FBI seizes 53 devices, arrests nine in Nigeria

The bureau announced that nine of the twenty-eight individuals taken into custody during a recent West African fraud sweep were apprehended within national borders, and that authorities confiscated fifty-three electronic devices believed to belong to the suspects. Officials highlighted that the operation aimed to disrupt a sophisticated network that had exploited vulnerable populations across several continents, and they stressed the importance of swift action to prevent further losses.

Director Kash Patel shared the details on his official X account under the label Operation Blackout, expressing gratitude to Nigerian law enforcement and to partners in London for their collaborative effort. While he praised the joint work, he omitted the name of the specific agency that had provided critical intelligence, noting that the partnership demonstrated the value of cross-border coordination in tackling complex cyber-crimes.

Nigerian authorities indicated that the individuals will face prosecution for breaching domestic statutes related to fraud and human trafficking. The remaining nineteen arrests took place in Ghana, where Meta reported that one hundred seventeen victims are currently awaiting repatriation to the West African nation. According to the company’s statement, those victims had been trafficked and compelled to work inside a residential compound, showing the human cost behind the financial scheme.

Operation Blackout was described as a targeted effort against scam networks accused of siphoning billions of dollars from American consumers. Patel concluded his message by warning that overseas criminals would be pursued relentlessly and held accountable for their actions, reinforcing the message that no perpetrator could evade justice indefinitely.