INTERPOL has announced the arrest of 1,209 individuals suspected of cybercrime across Africa in a wide-ranging crackdown that dismantled thousands of illegal online operations – www.naijnaira.com reports.
According to Business News, the sting operation tagged Serengeti 2.0 ran from June to August 2025 and led to the recovery of $97.4 million tied to scams that victimized nearly 88,000 people.
The effort involved investigators from 18 African nations alongside the United Kingdom, targeting crimes such as ransomware, business email compromise, and large-scale online fraud.
Police in Angola raided 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining centers run by 60 Chinese nationals, seizing equipment worth $37 million.
Zambia uncovered a crypto investment scam that defrauded 65,000 victims of $300 million, arresting 15 suspects and seizing assets linked to the scheme.
In Côte d’Ivoire, officers disrupted a cross-border inheritance fraud that caused $1.6 million in damages, arresting the mastermind and confiscating luxury goods.
INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza praised the coordinated effort, saying, “Each INTERPOL-coordinated operation builds on the last, deepening cooperation and developing investigative skills across member countries.”
The operation also drew support from private cybersecurity firms and funding from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
Article updated 5 days ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
