Benin: a network of suspected cybercriminals dismantled by the Police in Porto-Novo

On the night from Wednesday, September 2 to Thursday, September 3, 2026, a carefully conducted operation by the officers of the Médédjonou border police station led to the dismantling of a major network of cybercriminals holed up in the Gbéyamey neighborhood.

Informed of suspicious activities within an isolated residence in the area, the Republican Police, after verification, set up a discreet surveillance operation on Tuesday, September 2.

The trap closed the next day, Thursday, September 3, 2026, around 8 a.m. on the suspects. The intervention carried out by the police officers resulted in the arrest of five foreign nationals, aged 20 to 28, who had turned the building into a veritable fortified headquarters under video surveillance.

Surprised by the police raid, one of the suspects attempted a spectacular but futile escape by jumping from the second floor of the building. His fall resulted in a leg injury.

Record seizure of technological equipment

The thorough search of the premises revealed the impressive logistics of this network specialized in digital crime. The law enforcement officers seized under seal a considerable arsenal of computer and telephone equipment including 22 HP brand laptops, 25 Android smartphones of various brands, 2 Intel brand feature phones, 6 bank cards, 5 identity documents, 2 SIM cards, 3 surveillance cameras, 5 SIM card packs, various computer accessories, and power strips.

Following the initial procedures conducted at the Médédjonou border police station, the five suspects as well as all the seized equipment were transferred to the Southern Regional Cybercrime Unit in Porto-Novo.

It is now this specialized jurisdiction that will be responsible for deepening the preliminary investigation in order to uncover possible accomplices and to assess the exact scope of the activities of this criminal network.