INTERPOL Busts Cybercrime Networks in Africa, Recovers $97.4m – | #cybercrime | #infosec

INTERPOL, the International Police Organisation working with law enforcement agencies across Africa, has arrested 1,209 suspected cybercriminals and dismantled more than 11,400 malicious online infrastructures in one of the continent’s biggest anti-cybercrime operations.

The sting, codenamed Serengeti 2.0, ran from June to August 2025 and led to the recovery of $97.4 million linked to online fraud targeting nearly 88,000 victims.

Investigators from 18 African countries and the United Kingdom participated in the operation, targeting ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and online scams—key threats highlighted in INTERPOL’s latest Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report.

Authorities in Angola shut down 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining centres run by 60 Chinese nationals, confiscating IT equipment and power stations worth over $37 million. In Zambia, police uncovered a massive crypto investment scam that defrauded 65,000 victims of about $300 million, arresting 15 suspects and seizing fraudulent domains and bank accounts.

In Côte d’Ivoire, police dismantled a transnational inheritance scam that originated in Germany, arresting its ringleader and recovering cash, vehicles, jewellery, and electronics worth $1.6 million.

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza praised the coordinated effort, stressing that each operation builds stronger international cooperation and investigative capacity.

The crackdown was supported by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and private sector partners including Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, Trend Micro, and TRM Labs.

INTERPOL warned that cybercrime remains one of Africa’s fastest-growing security threats, with Nigeria ranking third on the continent for ransomware attacks, recording 3,459 detections in 2024.