teiss – News – Interpol cybercrime crackdown in Africa leads to 1,200 arrests, $97 million seized | #cybercrime | #infosec

Law enforcement agencies across Africa have arrested more than 1,200 suspects in an international crackdown on cybercrime that disrupted malicious infrastructure and seized nearly $100 million, Interpol announced Friday.

The initiative, dubbed Operation Serengeti 2.0, was conducted between June and August 2025 under Interpol’s coordination. Investigators from 18 African nations and the United Kingdom targeted cross-border cybercriminal gangs involved in ransomware, online scams and business email compromise schemes.

Authorities dismantled 11,432 malicious infrastructures linked to cyberattacks and seized $97.4 million in illicit proceeds. In total, 1,209 individuals were arrested for allegedly targeting 87,858 victims worldwide.

The operation was carried out under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime framework, supported by funding from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Investigators also leveraged intelligence from private sector partners including Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, Trend Micro, TRM Labs and others.

Interpol has coordinated a series of similar cybercrime crackdowns in recent years. Between November 2024 and February 2025, authorities arrested 306 suspects in Operation Red Card, tied to attacks affecting more than 5,000 victims. A year earlier, the first Operation Serengeti led to 1,006 arrests linked to ransomware, digital extortion and online scams. In 2023, Operation Africa Cyber Surge II resulted in the arrest of 14 suspects blamed for losses of more than $40 million.

Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said the growing scale of arrests highlights the effectiveness of sustained collaboration across borders. “Each INTERPOL-coordinated operation builds on the last, deepening cooperation, increasing information sharing and developing investigative skills across member countries,” Urquiza said. “With more contributions and shared expertise, the results keep growing in scale and impact. This global network is stronger than ever, delivering real outcomes and safeguarding victims.”