Ghana’s Sam George says FBI agents did not participate in cybercrime raids led by local authorities, raising questions over operational credit and international security cooperation, reports Jon Offei-Ansah
Keypoints:
- George says Ghana directed the raids
- FBI reports over 130 arrested or detained
- Minister says investigation remains live
GHANA’S Communications Minister Sam George has challenged FBI Director Kash Patel’s account of a major cybercrime crackdown, saying Ghanaian agencies led the raids and no FBI officers took part in the operation on the ground.
The disagreement is about more than who gets the credit. George argues that the FBI director’s announcement risked disrupting an investigation that is still under way, exposing tensions over how international security partners share information and announce results.
FBI announcement sparks challenge
The disagreement began after Patel announced on X on October 8 that more than 130 people had been arrested or detained in Ghana under the FBI’s global Operation Blackout campaign.
He said investigators had identified 89 fraud victims and nearly $10m in losses, while more than 300 electronic devices had been seized. Patel said some of those detained were victims who would be repatriated. Information the FBI provided to Fox News described suspected trafficking victims among the detainees, primarily from Nigeria.
‘These scam compounds target American citizens and destroy lives,’ Patel wrote, hailing the operation as another success in the FBI’s campaign against international fraud.
George responded publicly to Patel’s account , arguing that it made the raids appear to be an exclusively American operation. Patel’s post did not explicitly say the FBI acted alone, but did not name the Ghanaian agencies George says led the effort.
‘The FBI did not lead the operation’
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight programme, George was more direct.
‘The FBI did not lead the operation,’ he said, repeating the point. ‘In fact, during the conduct of the operation, there were no FBI officers involved.’
George said Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority directed Operation Cyberhunt alongside the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ghana Police Service, national security operatives and other local agencies.
Britain’s National Crime Agency, he said, was the most significant international partner. George linked the FBI’s involvement to the fraud targeting Americans and the investigations and possible prosecutions that could follow in the United States.
His claim about officers’ physical presence does not rule out an FBI contribution through intelligence-sharing or other investigative support. Indeed, George has acknowledged the bureau as a partner; his objection is to how its role was presented.
Raids took place in September
The minister also disputed Patel’s description of the arrests as a takedown carried out ‘this week’. According to George, four operations took place between September 25 and 28, more than a week before the FBI director’s announcement.
He said Ghanaian investigators had not yet publicised the full operation because their work was continuing. Premature disclosure, he argued, could warn other suspects and compromise intelligence gathering.
A documentary shared by George said 128 people had been arrested after raids in four communities. Patel put the figure at more than 130 arrested or detained, including people who may themselves be victims. It remains unclear whether the two figures cover exactly the same people or stages of the investigation.
The nearly $10m cited by Patel represents identified fraud losses, not money recovered in the Ghana raids.
Scam compounds and trafficking victims
George said some Nigerians encountered during the raids had been trafficked and were being processed for repatriation in cooperation with Nigeria’s diplomatic mission.
The distinction matters. People found working inside scam centres may be suspected of fraudulent activity, but some may have been coerced into taking part. Investigators still have to establish who organised the schemes and who was exploited by them.
Interpol has warned that scam compounds are spreading into West Africa , often drawing people in through deceptive job offers before forcing them into online fraud.
The threat stretches well beyond Ghana. Interpol-backed investigations have targeted West Africa-linked fraud networks across 22 countries , while reported cybercrime losses across Africa reached $484m in 2025 , according to figures examined by Africa Briefing.
What happens to cooperation now?
George warned that announcements which overlook the lead role of local authorities could make future cooperation more difficult. At the same time, he stressed that Ghana values its working relationships with both the United States and Britain.
That cooperation remains important. Fraud victims, money transfers, suspects and digital evidence can all be in different countries. South Africa’s extradition proceedings against alleged Black Axe-linked fraud suspects offer another example of how such investigations depend on several jurisdictions.
Patel’s initial post did not explain whether FBI personnel took part in the September raids, and the precise division of responsibilities remains contested. The competing accounts also leave the detention figures and timing in need of clarification.
For those who lost money to the scams, and for people allegedly trafficked into running them, the question of who gets the credit may matter less than what happens next. The real test for Ghana, Britain and the United States is whether their investigators can keep working together to identify the organisers and bring those responsible to justice.