FBI says Nigeria operation led to nine arrests

FBI Director Kash Patel said Operation Blackout led to nine arrests in Nigeria, the seizure of 53 electronic devices and the identification of $11 million in funds potentially subject to freezing across multiple countries. Patel announced the results in a post on X. The figures refer to the operation in Nigeria, while the potential funds were identified across multiple countries. The money has not been described as seized or recovered. Patel credited Nigerian law enforcement and FBI partners in London for cooperating in the operation. He said the campaign targets international cybercriminal networks accused of running scam centres and defrauding victims, including Americans. The FBI did not disclose the identities of the nine people arrested or the specific locations of their arrests. Operation Blackout is part of wider efforts against international scam networks. In a separate update, Patel said the broader campaign had led to hundreds of arrests and nearly $17 billion seized, and that thousands of trafficked workers had been freed. He also said more than 10,000 Americans had been warned before losing money, helping prevent an estimated $670 million in losses. Those wider...