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Interpol, in collaboration with African law enforcement agencies and private-sector partners, conducted Operation Serengeti 2.0 from June to August 2025, targeting cybercrime across 18 African countries. The operation led to the arrest of over 1,200 suspects and the recovery of nearly $97.4 million in assets. Among its key outcomes were the dismantling of 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining centers in Angola and the disruption of a $300 million online investment fraud scheme in Zambia, which defrauded approximately 65,000 individuals. The mining centers in Angola were run by 60 Chinese nationals and used 45 unauthorized power stations. The seized equipment, valued at over $37 million, is expected to be redirected to support power distribution in vulnerable communities. In Zambia, authorities arrested 15 suspects, froze related bank accounts, and seized forged documents tied to the fraudulent investment scheme.
The operation also targeted a range of cybercriminal activities, including ransomware attacks, business email compromise (BEC) schemes, and inheritance scams. Investigators uncovered 11,432 malicious infrastructures used in these crimes, which impacted nearly 88,000 victims. In Côte d’Ivoire, a transnational inheritance scam originating in Germany was dismantled, causing an estimated $1.6 million in losses. The operation also disrupted a human trafficking network in Zambia, during which authorities confiscated 372 counterfeit passports from seven different countries. These findings highlight the diversification of cybercriminal methods, which now include both traditional schemes and advanced technologies like AI-powered deepfakes.
The success of Operation Serengeti 2.0 was bolstered by cross-border intelligence sharing, with private-sector cybersecurity firms such as Fortinet, Trend Micro, and Kaspersky providing technical guidance and training to investigators. These partnerships were critical in enhancing the capacity of local law enforcement to track cryptocurrency transactions, analyze ransomware, and identify cybercrime networks. According to Joshua Paul Ignacio, a senior threat researcher at Trend Micro, the operation underscored the adaptability of criminal groups that blend old and new methods to sustain their operations. He noted that while successful prosecutions build legal precedents and reduce the perceived risk-reward ratio of cybercrime, these groups are quick to rebuild, requiring sustained, coordinated efforts.
The operation was part of a broader initiative to build long-term investigative and prosecutorial capacity in African countries, where cybercrime has been on the rise due to the continent’s rapid digital transformation and relatively weak cybersecurity frameworks. INTERPOL highlighted the importance of international cooperation in combating cybercrime, as digital criminal networks do not recognize national borders. The organization also emphasized the role of prevention, with a new partnership with the International Cyber Offender Prevention Network (InterCOP) now including 36 countries dedicated to detecting threats before they escalate. This proactive approach aims to redirect youth toward legitimate opportunities and build the skills of law enforcement to keep pace with the evolving cybercrime landscape.
The operation was funded in part by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and supported by a consortium of cybercrime experts and technical partners. It marked a continuation of previous efforts such as Operation Serengeti in 2024, which resulted in the arrest of over 1,000 suspects and the identification of 35,000 victims. As cybercriminals continue to adapt, INTERPOL and its partners remain committed to deepening cooperation, sharing intelligence, and developing investigative capabilities to stay ahead of the threat. The results of these operations demonstrate that while cybercrime is a persistent and evolving challenge, coordinated, multi-jurisdictional enforcement can yield significant and measurable outcomes.
Source: [1] African Law Enforcement Nabs Cybercrime Syndicates (https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/african-law-enforcement-agencies-nab-cybercrime-syndicates) [2] Interpol Seizes $100M in Crypto Crime Crackdown Across … (https://bitbo.io/news/interpol-africa-bitcoin-busts/) [3] INTERPOL reports over 1200 arrests in Africa-wide … (https://dig.watch/updates/interpol-reports-over-1200-arrests-in-africa-wide-cybercrime-operation) [4] African authorities dismantle massive cybercrime and fraud … (https://www.interpol.int/News-and-Events/News/2025/African-authorities-dismantle-massive-cybercrime-and-fraud-networks-recover-millions) [5] Large Interpol cybercrime crackdown in Africa leads to the … (https://apnews.com/article/interpol-africa-cybercrime-057fee9214a008eb2829a672b10e69b0)
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