INTERPOL-led operation in Africa recovers $97 million

An INTERPOL-coordinated crackdown has led to the arrest of 1,209 suspected cybercriminals across Africa and the recovery of nearly $97.4 million linked to online fraud schemes.

The three-month operation, codenamed Serengeti 2.0, targeted cybercrime networks exploiting almost 88,000 victims across the continent.

Quick facts

• The operation ran from June to August 2025 and brought together investigators from 18 African countries and the United Kingdom.
• According to INTERPOL, authorities dismantled 11,432 malicious infrastructures linked to crimes such as ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and cryptocurrency fraud.
• The initiative was supported by private sector partners, who provided intelligence on suspicious IP addresses, domains, and command-and-control servers.
• Investigators also received pre-operation training in cryptocurrency investigations, ransomware analysis, and open-source intelligence tools.

Operational highlights

Angola:

• Authorities shut down 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining centres operated by 60 Chinese nationals.
• The raids uncovered 45 illicit power stations and IT equipment valued at more than $37 million, which the government will now redirect to strengthen local electricity supply.

Zambia:

• Officials dismantled a large-scale online investment fraud affecting more than 65,000 victims who lost an estimated $300 million.
• Fifteen suspects were arrested, with seized evidence including domains, bank accounts, and mobile numbers.
• In a related case, investigators disrupted a scam centre in Lusaka and confiscated 372 forged passports linked to a suspected human trafficking network.

Côte d’Ivoire:

• Police dismantled a transnational inheritance scam originating in Germany. The group caused losses of $1.6 million through fake inheritance claims.
• The prime suspect was arrested, and assets including cash, vehicles, jewellery, and electronics were seized.

Key quote

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said:

“Each INTERPOL-coordinated operation builds on the last, deepening cooperation, increasing information sharing and developing investigative skills across member countries. With more contributions and shared expertise, the results keep growing in scale and impact.”

Background

• Operation Serengeti 2.0 was carried out under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime, funded by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
• It also worked with the International Cyber Offender Prevention Network (InterCOP), a 36-country consortium focused on proactive cybercrime prevention.