Ghana’s Cyber Security Authority (CSA) has rejected suggestions that the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) independently led a recent operation against suspected cybercrime centres in the country, insisting that the exercise was planned, coordinated and executed by Ghanaian authorities.
The Authority’s response followed a post by FBI Director Kashyap Pramod Patel on X concerning “Operation Blackout,” also known as “Operation Cyber Hunt,” which resulted in the arrest of eight suspects and the rescue of 120 people suspected of being trafficked and exploited for online fraud.
In a statement posted on its X handle on Friday, the CSA said it had taken note of Patel’s post and rejected any account suggesting that the FBI independently conceived, commanded or executed the operation.
“The Authority rejects any portrayal of the operation as independently conceived, commanded or executed by the FBI,” it said.
The CSA said the operation was conducted under Ghanaian leadership, with support from the country’s National Security Council, the Criminal Investigations Department of the Ghana Police Service, the Ghana Immigration Service, the Office of the Attorney-General, and the Joint Case Team on Cybercrime.
Other partners included the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, the FBI and Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The Authority stressed that the operation was conducted within Ghana’s legal and institutional frameworks, arguing that foreign law enforcement agencies could not independently exercise police powers or conduct arrests in the country.
“Ghanaian authorities planned, coordinated and executed the operation within Ghana’s legal and institutional frameworks,” the statement said, adding that the exercise was not conducted under foreign operational command.
Despite rejecting the suggestion of independent FBI leadership, the CSA acknowledged the contributions of its international partners, particularly the FBI and the UK’s National Crime Agency, in providing intelligence for the investigation.
“The CSA acknowledges the valuable intelligence contributions of the FBI and the NCA,” it said.
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.
