Authorities across Africa carried out one of the region’s largest-ever cybercrime crackdowns this summer, arresting more than 1,200 suspects and recovering nearly $100 million in illicit funds, INTERPOL announced.
A multi-country push against high-impact crime
The three-month initiative, codenamed Operation Serengeti 2.0, ran from June to August 2025 and involved investigators from 18 African nations alongside the United Kingdom. The coordinated effort targeted ransomware groups, business email compromise (BEC) schemes, and online investment fraud, categories flagged in the latest INTERPOL Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report as the most damaging to individuals and businesses.
In total, authorities disrupted over 11,400 malicious online infrastructures. Much of the success came from private sector collaboration, with cybersecurity partners supplying intelligence on suspicious IP addresses, domains, and command-and-control servers before the operation began.
Key takedowns: crypto farms, scams, and forged passports
Angola: Police raided 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining centers run by foreign nationals, seizing mining rigs, IT equipment, and 45 power stations worth more than $37 million. The government plans to redirect the confiscated energy infrastructure toward underserved communities.
Zambia: Investigators exposed a $300 million crypto investment scam that drew in 65,000 victims via aggressive online ads. Authorities arrested 15 individuals, dismantled their operations, and confiscated forged documents and bank accounts. In a separate action, Zambian police and immigration officers seized 372 fake passports linked to a suspected human trafficking network.
Côte d’Ivoire: Officers shut down a transnational inheritance fraud scheme that originated in Germany, arresting the main suspect and recovering luxury goods, vehicles, and cash. Losses from the scam totaled about $1.6 million.
Building lasting capacity
INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza praised the operation as a milestone in regional coordination, stressing that each campaign “deepens cooperation and strengthens investigative skills across member countries.”
Ahead of the crackdown, participating officers trained in cryptocurrency tracing, ransomware analysis, and open-source intelligence, sharpening the techniques that led to the arrests and seizures.
The effort also aligned with the International Cyber Offender Prevention Network (InterCOP), a 36-nation project led by the Netherlands that emphasizes early detection and disruption of online crime before attacks occur.
With its sweeping arrests, multimillion-dollar seizures, and dismantling of illicit infrastructure, Operation Serengeti 2.0 stands as one of the most decisive blows yet against Africa’s fast-evolving cybercrime networks.
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