On July 22, 2026, at the headquarters of the Directorate for the Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH, a workshop on the topic “INTERPOL's Initiative against West African Organized Criminal Groups” was held, as part of the cooperation between the INTERPOL General Secretariat and the Directorate.
The workshop was intended for investigators, analysts, and public prosecutors, and brought together representatives from the State Agency for Investigation and Protection, the Federal Police Administration, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Republika Srpska, the Prosecutor's Office of BiH, and the Directorate for Coordination of Police Bodies of BiH. The purpose of the workshop was to raise awareness about Nigerian criminal fraternities (Black Axe, MAPHITE, the Supreme Eye Confraternity, Viking, Reformed Ogboni Confraternity, Pirates, Buccaneers, Jurist) and to familiarize participants with current trends and challenges in the field.
Participants in this workshop emphasized that specific training is of great importance for strengthening the overall capacity of law enforcement agencies in BiH to recognize the threats posed by organized criminal groups from West Africa, to better understand their methods of infiltration and criminal activities, and to enhance the transnational response through intensified international police cooperation and the exchange of operational experiences.
The workshop consisted of a theoretical and a practical part and covered the following topics: the origins of transnational West African organized groups and their international expansion, the identification of various Nigerian cults and their criminal activities, the structure of different Nigerian cults, modus operandi, etc.
Upon completion of the training, participants were awarded certificates of attendance,
DIRECTORATE FOR COORDINATION OF POLICE BODIES OF BiH