CSA rejects claims that FBI independently led and executed Operation Blackout in Ghana
The Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has responded to a post on X by the Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Kashyap Pramod Patel, concerning “Operation Blackout” in Ghana.
The Authority has rejected any suggestion that the operation was independently initiated, directed or executed by the FBI, insisting that it was a Ghana-led initiative.
In a statement, the CSA explained that the operation, also known as “Operation Cyber Hunt”, was led and coordinated by the Authority with support from Ghana’s National Security Council, the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service, the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency (NCA), the FBI, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime (JCTC), the Ghana Immigration Service and the Office of the Attorney-General.
The CSA said Ghanaian institutions planned, coordinated and executed the operation under the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.
It stressed that the exercise was neither conceived as part of an FBI-led global programme nor conducted under foreign operational command.
Reaffirming Ghana’s sovereignty, the Authority noted that foreign law enforcement agencies do not have independent authority to exercise police powers or make arrests within the country.
It added that the involvement of foreign agencies must be based on lawful cooperation and carried out with the authorisation and participation of the relevant Ghanaian authorities.
The CSA acknowledged the valuable intelligence contributions of the FBI and the NCA, noting that international partnerships remained essential to Ghana’s efforts to combat transnational cybercrime.
However, it stressed that the roles of international partners must be accurately represented in public communications.
The Authority called on the FBI to clarify its public account of the Ghana-led operation and recognise the contributions of Ghanaian institutions and other international partners involved in its execution.
It also expressed its readiness to engage constructively to ensure that the public record accurately reflects the respective roles of all participating agencies.
According to the CSA, the operation uncovered suspected cybercrime centres in parts of the Greater Accra Region, resulting in the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people suspected to have been trafficked and exploited for online fraud.
The operation followed intelligence received on August 26, 2026, indicating that several apartments at Ubuntu Haven Estate in Kpone Katamanso, Franko Estate in Ga North and other locations in Ga West were allegedly being used as bases for organised cybercrime, including romance scams.
Items seized during the operation included 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, internet connectivity devices, four vehicles — one of which was reportedly stolen from Canada — and other digital equipment.
The search team also recovered high-value items, including jewellery and 10 Nigerian passports.
The Authority said arrangements were underway to repatriate the rescued victims, most of whom were identified as Nigerians, while investigations into the suspects and seized digital devices continued.
The CSA reaffirmed Ghana’s commitment to dismantling cybercrime networks and protecting the public against online fraud and other technology-enabled offences.
It said it would continue to strengthen intelligence-led investigations, inter-agency coordination, digital forensic capabilities and international cooperation.
The Authority added that victim protection, evidence preservation, respect for due process and the prosecution of offenders remained central to its efforts to combat cybercrime.
By Esther Padmore Amonoo
