INTERPOL cybercrime crackdown nets 1,462 suspects, recovers Sh13.6 billion

INTERPOL cybercrime crackdown nets 1,462 suspects, recovers Sh13.6 billion

INTERPOL disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and identified 65,929 victims targeted by cybercriminal groups. Financial investigations linked the criminal activities to losses exceeding $385 million (Sh50 billion).

Law enforcement agencies from 21 countries have arrested 1,462 suspects and recovered more than $105 million (Sh13.6 billion) in illicit funds following a major cybercrime crackdown coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).

Dubbed Operation Serengeti III, the operation, which ran from June 29 to August 31, 2026, targeted cyber-enabled fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams and digital extortion across Africa and beyond.

According to a statement by INTERPOL, authorities disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and identified 65,929 victims targeted by cybercriminal groups. Financial investigations linked the criminal activities to losses exceeding $385 million (Sh50 billion).

The operation comes amid growing concerns over the sophistication of cybercrime across Africa, with INTERPOL's African Cyber Threat Assessment Report 2026 highlighting the increasing use of artificial intelligence to facilitate criminal activities and the continued rise in cyber-enabled financial losses.

Before the operation, investigators from 20 African countries and the United States received intelligence on suspicious domains, IP addresses and command-and-control infrastructure associated with suspected criminal networks.

Uganda recorded one of the operation's most significant enforcement actions, with authorities dismantling two transnational fraud rings and arresting 365 foreign nationals linked to sophisticated online investment and pension fraud schemes targeting victims across Asia.

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Investigators uncovered a rotating call-centre operation that used scripted communications, fake trading platforms and fraudulent websites to deceive pensioners into investing in non-existent opportunities.

In Angola, authorities dismantled two illegal cryptocurrency mining centres, arrested nine suspects and seized more than 2,000 cryptocurrency mining devices, alongside six illegal power substations. The seized electrical infrastructure alone was valued at more than $1 million (Sh129.8 million).

In Nigeria, investigators arrested a suspect linked to a large-scale phishing and business email compromise operation that harvested software credentials and amassed approximately 2.1 million email addresses.

Authorities also recovered a luxury vehicle suspected to have been acquired using criminal proceeds.

A separate Nigerian investigation targeted an international investment fraud scheme promoted through messaging applications. The arrest followed financial investigations that traced more than $2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which was allegedly laundered through cryptocurrency transactions.

Elsewhere, authorities dismantled a malicious mobile loan application scheme in Tanzania, disrupted a social media-based vehicle import fraud network in Gabon, and arrested 30 suspects linked to a cybercrime operation in the Republic of Congo.

INTERPOL Director of Cybercrime Neal Jetton said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in tackling criminals who exploit digital technologies across national borders.

“While cybercrime is increasingly borderless, international cooperation remains one of the most effective tools for disrupting criminal networks, recovering criminal assets and protecting communities from digital harm,” Jetton said.

Several investigations arising from Operation Serengeti III remain active, with authorities continuing to identify additional suspects, trace illicit funds and analyse digital evidence seized during the crackdown. The operation spans Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d'Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

The operation received support from cybersecurity and technology organisations, including Group-IB, Kaspersky, Fortinet, Team Cymru, Uppsala Security, Cybercrime Atlas, Meta and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, as well as Zimbabwe's Postal and Telecommunications Regulatory Authority.

Private-sector cybersecurity partners also provided technical expertise and intelligence to help investigators identify suspects, map criminal networks and disrupt their operations.

“The operation underscores the growing need for coordinated international action as cybercriminals exploit emerging technologies, cryptocurrency transactions and digital communication platforms to perpetrate fraud and move illicit proceeds across borders,” INTERPOL said.