# Fraud and financial crime arrests in West Africa

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/fraud-and-financial-crime-arrests-in-west-africa
> Updated: 2026-10-25T14:57:22.000Z. Sources: 10. Developments: 2.

Law enforcement agencies in West Africa have conducted high-profile arrests related to significant financial crimes.

In Côte d’Ivoire, police in Abidjan arrested a Cameroonian national for an alleged ‘black money’ scam. The suspect reportedly attempted to defraud a merchant by claiming to possess large sums of US dollars covered in a black powder to evade scanners, requesting funds to purchase a cleaning agent to reveal the currency.

In Senegal, the Dakar Research Brigade apprehended an influential businessman in the Almadies district following an eight-month international manhunt. The suspect faces charges including fraud, money laundering, and forgery linked to a land dispute involving over 1.372 billion FCFA, as well as a 300 million FCFA fraud targeting mobile money accounts.

## Timeline

### 2026-10-25: Senegal police arrest fugitive in Almadies over billion-CFA fraud

A businessman wanted on an international warrant was arrested in Almadies, Senegal, facing charges related to a 1.372 billion FCFA land fraud and a 300 million FCFA mobile money scam.

10 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/police-in-senegal-and-guinea-apprehend-suspects-in-separate-criminal-investigations

### 2026-10-19: Abidjan police arrest man for alleged black money scam

A Cameroonian man was arrested in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, for an alleged scam involving fake black-covered currency worth 20 million FCFA.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/abidjan-police-arrest-man-for-alleged-black-money-scam

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Cite as: Fraud and financial crime arrests in West Africa. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/fraud-and-financial-crime-arrests-in-west-africa