African cybercrime crackdown culminates in 1,006 captured and cuffed

More than a thousand suspected cybercriminals were arrested across 19 African countries in recent months thanks to an operation helmed by Interpol and Afripol.

Operation Serengeti ran over September and October, targeting criminal capers from ransomware through to business email compromise (BEC) and other online offenses linked to more than $190 million in global losses.

The arrests are “just the tip of the iceberg” when it comes to organized cybercrime, according to Valdecy Urquiza, the secretary general of Interpol, who said the agency would “continue targeting these criminal groups worldwide.”

Alongside the 1,006 arrests, police were said to have “dismantled 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks” and identified more than 35,000 victims.

Although a full list of cases is unavailable, several were cited by INTERPOL including one in which eight people, among them five Chinese nationals, were arrested in Senegal connected to a $6 million Ponzi scheme that had duped more than 1,800 victims. The gang was found to be in possession of over 900 SIM cards and $11,000 in cash.

Kenyan police cuffed nearly two dozen individuals after uncovering a gang linked to more than $8.6 million in losses “stolen through fraudulent scripts run after altering the banking system’s security protocol” and distributing the funds to “digital asset institutions” via the United Arab Emirates, Nigeria and China.

The authorities in Cameroon made arrests of suspects involved in a people trafficking ring connected to a multi-level marketing scam that forced victims to trick other people into joining the scam in order to earn their own freedom.

“After paying a ‘membership fee’, victims were promised employment opportunities or training but once in Cameroon, they were held captive and obliged to lure others into the scheme to gain their freedom,” Interpol said “Initial estimates show that the group had already pocketed at least USD 150,000 in fees.”

Ambassador Jalel Chelba, Afripol’s executive director said: “Through Serengeti, AFRIPOL has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States. We’ve facilitated key arrests and deepened insights into cybercrime trends. Our focus now includes emerging threats like AI-driven malware and advanced attack techniques.”

The operation “was carried out with funding of the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, the German Federal Foreign Office and the Council of Europe.”