The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has arrested nine suspects in Nigeria as part of a global crackdown on cybercrime networks.

The operation, code-named Operation Blackout, also led to the seizure of 53 electronic devices and the identification of $11 million in potentially freezable funds across multiple countries.

FBI Director, Kash Patel, disclosed this in a statement posted on his official X handle on Sunday, October 26, 2026.

Patel said the operation is aimed at dismantling international scam centres that steal billions of dollars from Americans by exploiting innocent victims and wiping out their life savings.

According to him, the suspects operate across borders under the assumption that they are beyond the reach of law enforcement.

“Operation Blackout is taking the fight directly to the international cybercriminal networks stealing billions from Americans. These scam centres exploit innocent victims, steal life savings, and operate across international borders believing they are beyond the reach of law enforcement. They’re wrong,” Patel said.

He commended Nigerian law enforcement agencies and partners in London for their cooperation in the operation and warned criminals targeting Americans from abroad that justice will find them.

The Nigeria operation is part of a wider international enforcement exercise which has resulted in 28 arrests across Nigeria and Ghana, the seizure of hundreds of devices and the removal of over 3.7 million fraudulent accounts linked to West African scam networks.

Source: Channels TV