CSA rejects claims of FBI command over Operation Blackout in Ghana
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has rejected any suggestion that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) independently conceived, commanded or executed Operation Blackout.
The Authority insists that the operation was planned and coordinated by Ghanaian authorities.
The clarification follows a post on X by FBI Director Kashyap Pramod Patel concerning the operation, also known as Operation Cyber Hunt, which targeted suspected cybercrime centres in parts of the Greater Accra Region.
The operation led to the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people suspected to have been trafficked and exploited for online fraud activities.
In a press release issued on Thursday, October 8, the CSA said the operation was conducted under Ghana’s legal and institutional frameworks, with support from local and international law enforcement agencies.
“Ghanaian authorities planned, coordinated and executed the operation within Ghana's legal and institutional frameworks, and it thus cannot be said to be conceived as part of an FBI-led global programme, neither was it conducted under a foreign operational command,” the statement read in part.
The Authority explained that the operation involved the National Security Council, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the FBI and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Other participating institutions included the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime (JCTC), the Ghana Immigration Service and the Office of the Attorney-General.
The CSA stressed that foreign law enforcement agencies could not independently exercise police powers or conduct arrests in Ghana without the authorisation and involvement of the relevant Ghanaian authorities.
It acknowledged the intelligence contributions of the FBI and the UK NCA but maintained that the roles of all participating institutions must be accurately reflected in public accounts of the operation.
“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.
Details of Operation Cyber Hunt
According to the CSA, the operation followed intelligence received on August 26, indicating that several apartments at Ubuntu Haven Estate in Kpone Katamanso, Franko Estate in Ga North and other locations in Ga West were being used as bases for organised cybercrime, including romance scams.
Items seized included 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, internet connection devices and four motor vehicles. One of the vehicles was reported to have been stolen from Canada.
The search team also recovered jewellery and 10 Nigerian passports.