Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has rejected claims suggesting that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) independently led a recent operation against suspected cybercrime centres in the country, insisting that Ghanaian authorities planned, coordinated and executed the exercise.
The Authority said “Operation Blackout”, also known as “Operation Cyber Hunt”, was conducted under Ghanaian leadership with support from local and international law enforcement agencies.
In a statement posted on its X handle on Friday, the CSA said it had taken note of a post by FBI Director Kashyap Pramod Patel concerning the operation.
“The Authority rejects any portrayal of the operation as independently conceived, commanded or executed by the FBI,” it said.
According to the CSA, the operation was coordinated by the Authority in collaboration with Ghana’s National Security Council, the Criminal Investigations Department 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, the Ghana Immigration Service and the Office of the Attorney-General.
The Authority stressed that the operation was conducted within Ghana’s legal and institutional frameworks, adding that foreign law enforcement agencies could not independently exercise police powers or carry out arrests in the country.
“Ghanaian authorities planned, coordinated and executed the operation within Ghana’s legal and institutional frameworks,” the statement said, maintaining that the exercise was not conducted under foreign operational command.
However, the CSA acknowledged the contributions of international partners, particularly the FBI and the NCA, in providing intelligence that supported the investigation.
“The CSA acknowledges the valuable intelligence contributions of the FBI and the NCA,” it said, while emphasising the importance of accurately representing the roles of all participating agencies in the fight against transnational cybercrime.
The Authority called on the FBI to clarify its public account of the operation and recognise the contributions of Ghanaian institutions and other international partners involved in its execution.
The disagreement over the operation’s leadership followed raids on suspected cybercrime centres in parts of Ghana’s Greater Accra Region, which resulted in the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people believed to have been trafficked and exploited for online fraud.
The CSA said the operation followed intelligence received on August 26, 2026, indicating that 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 recovered during the operation included 136 mobile phones, 130 laptops, internet connection devices, four vehicles and other digital equipment. One of the vehicles was reportedly stolen from Canada.
Investigators also recovered jewellery and 10 Nigerian passports.
The Authority said most of the rescued victims were Nigerians and that arrangements were being made for their repatriation. Investigations into the suspects and the seized electronic devices were also ongoing.
Reaffirming Ghana’s commitment to tackling cybercrime, the CSA said the country would not become a safe haven for criminal networks.
It added that protecting victims, preserving evidence, respecting due process and prosecuting offenders remained central to its efforts to combat cyber-enabled crime.
The Authority said it remained open to constructive engagement to ensure that public accounts of the operation accurately reflected the contributions of all participating agencies.
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