The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has challenged FBI Director Kash Patel’s account of a recent operation against suspected cybercrime networks in Ghana, insisting that the exercise was led and coordinated by Ghanaian authorities.

The Authority said the operation, known as “Operation Cyber Hunt” or “Operation Blackout”, was planned and carried out under Ghana’s laws and institutions, with support from international partners, including the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA).

$10M Losses, 89 Victims: FBI detains over 130 in Ghana scam centre crackdown

In a press release issued on October 8, 2026, the CSA rejected any suggestion that the operation was independently planned or led by the FBI.

The response follows a post by Kash Patel on X, in which he presented the operation as part of the FBI’s global campaign against scam centres.

“OPERATION BLACKOUT: this FBI’s global scam center fraud demolition. Another takedown this week out of Ghana,” he wrote on October 8, 2026.

The FBI director said the operation had so far identified nearly US$10 million in losses involving 89 victims, while more than 130 people had been arrested or detained and over 300 electronic devices seized.

However, the CSA said the public account should reflect the roles played by Ghanaian institutions and other international partners.

It stressed that the operation was not conducted under the command of a foreign agency.

“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 said.

The Authority also reminded foreign law enforcement agencies that they cannot independently exercise police powers or make arrests in Ghana.

It said their involvement must be based on lawful cooperation and the authorisation and participation of the relevant Ghanaian authorities.

Despite its concerns about Patel’s post, the CSA acknowledged the intelligence support provided by the FBI and the NCA, describing their contributions as important to the fight against international cybercrime.

The Authority called on the FBI to clarify its public account of the operation and recognise the roles of the Ghanaian agencies and other international partners.

According to the CSA, Operation Cyber Hunt uncovered suspected cybercrime centres at locations in the Greater Accra Region.

The operation led to the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people suspected of being trafficked and forced into online fraud activities.

The exercise followed intelligence received on August 26, 2026, which indicated that 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, four vehicles and other digital equipment. One of the vehicles was reported to have been stolen from Canada.

FBI asks US court to keep records on Tinubu drug trafficking probe secret

The search team also recovered jewellery and 10 Nigerian passports.

The CSA said authorities were working to return the rescued victims, most of whom were identified as Nigerians, to their home country. Investigations into the suspects and the seized devices are ongoing.





MAG/VPO

Inside Ghana’s Abandoned Engineering Powerhouse: What Went Wrong?