In one of the largest coordinated crackdowns on cybercrime in Africa, INTERPOL has arrested 1,209 suspected cybercriminals and dismantled over 11,000 malicious online infrastructures, recovering $97.4 million linked to online fraud schemes.
Codenamed Operation Serengeti 2.0, the transcontinental effort ran from June to August 2025 and involved law enforcement agencies from 18 African nations and the United Kingdom. The sting targeted high-impact cyber threats such as ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and online scams—key risks identified in INTERPOL’s latest Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report.
Nearly 88,000 victims were affected by these schemes, which spanned a wide range of illicit digital activity. Intelligence ahead of the operation included suspicious IP addresses, domains, and command-and-control servers. Private sector partners, including major cybersecurity firms, also played a crucial role by providing expertise in crypto crime tracking, ransomware analysis, and digital forensics.
In Angola, police dismantled 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining operations run by 60 Chinese nationals. Authorities also seized 45 illicit power stations and IT equipment valued at over $37 million—resources the government now plans to redeploy for improving electricity access in underserved areas.
Zambia emerged as a major center of fraud, where investigators uncovered a large-scale online investment scam that defrauded 65,000 victims out of an estimated $300 million through cryptocurrency schemes. Fifteen suspects were arrested, and authorities seized fraudulent domains, bank accounts, and mobile phone numbers. In a related effort, police also disrupted a human trafficking network, recovering 372 forged passports from seven different countries.
In Côte d’Ivoire, police took down a transnational inheritance scam that originated in Germany. The ringleader was arrested, and assets including cash, vehicles, electronics, and jewelry—valued at $1.6 million—were seized. Despite being one of the oldest forms of internet fraud, inheritance scams remain lucrative for organized crime groups, INTERPOL warned.
INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza praised the operation as a model of international teamwork.
“Each INTERPOL-coordinated operation builds on the last—deepening cooperation, enhancing information sharing, and developing investigative capabilities across member countries. With growing collaboration and shared expertise, the impact continues to scale,” Urquiza said.
Operation Serengeti 2.0 was conducted under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime, with financial backing from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. Key industry partners included Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, Trend Micro, and TRM Labs, among others.
