Interpol sting nets $97m, 1,200 cybercrime arrests

Interpol, in collaboration with authorities across Africa, has arrested 1,209 suspected cybercriminals and dismantled 11,432 malicious infrastructures, recovering $97.4 million.

The sting, codenamed Serengeti 2.0, ran from June to August 2025 across 18 African nations and the United Kingdom, according to Interpol’s statement. The operation targeted ransomware, business email compromise, and online scams highlighted in Interpol’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report.

Intelligence shared before the raids included suspicious IP addresses, domains, and command-and-control servers. Private sector firms supported the effort with expertise in tracking crypto crimes, ransomware analysis, and digital forensics.

In Angola, police dismantled 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining centres run by 60 Chinese nationals. Equipment worth more than $37 million was seized, with the government planning to repurpose it for power distribution.

Zambia saw the exposure of a massive cryptocurrency investment fraud affecting 65,000 victims and resulting in losses of $300 million. Fifteen suspects were detained, with domains, bank accounts, and phone numbers linked to the scam confiscated. Authorities also disrupted a trafficking network and seized 372 forged passports.

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Côte d’Ivoire police broke a transnational inheritance scam originating in Germany. The ringleader was arrested, and assets including vehicles, jewellery, and electronics worth $1.6 million were recovered.

Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza described the sting as proof of effective cross-border collaboration. “Each Interpol-coordinated operation builds on the last, deepening cooperation, increasing information sharing and developing investigative skills,” he said.

The operation was coordinated under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime, funded by the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, with additional backing from firms including Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, and TRM Labs.

Interpol’s Cyberthreat Report indicates ransomware threats are escalating across Africa, with Nigeria ranking third on the continent in 2024 with 3,459 detections. More than 30% of reported crimes in West and East Africa are now tied to cyber activity.