Interpol Seizes $105M in African Cybercrime Crackdown

A Massive Crackdown Across 21 African Nations

Law enforcement agencies across Africa recently concluded one of the continent's largest joint cybercrime operations to date.

The crackdown was named Operation Serengeti III, coordinated directly by Interpol. It ran from June 29 to August 31, 2026.

During the two-month effort, police forces from 21 African countries joined together to target illicit digital networks.

The results were substantial. Authorities arrested 1,462 suspects and disrupted 10,909 malicious networks.

Officers also recovered over $105 million in stolen funds and illegal proceeds.

According to Interpol, investigators identified 65,929 victims during the sweep. Financial tracing linked these criminal networks to overall losses exceeding $385 million.

The operation targeted several major categories of cybercrime:

• Ransomware attacks
• Online investment scams
• Business email compromise (BEC) schemes
• Digital extortion and fake trading platforms

Dismantling Illegal Crypto Mines in Angola

Cryptocurrency mining involves powerful computer hardware solving complex mathematical problems. This process requires vast amounts of electricity.

In Angola, investigators uncovered illegal operations that were stealing electricity straight from the power grid.

Police dismantled two illegal crypto mining centers, arresting nine people at the scene.

Authorities seized over 2,000 specialized mining devices along with six illegal electrical transformation stations.

Interpol reported that the seized electrical hardware alone was worth more than $1 million.

Investigating Money Laundering and Email Fraud in Nigeria

In Nigeria, law enforcement focused heavily on fake investment schemes and large-scale email fraud.

Police arrested a key suspect behind an international investment fraud scheme. The scam relied on popular messaging apps to recruit victims.

Investigators successfully traced over $2.4 million in criminal funds. Much of this money was laundered through cryptocurrency transactions.

In a separate case, Nigerian officers arrested another suspect running a business email compromise (BEC) operation.

That individual had compiled a database containing approximately 2.1 million email addresses used for phishing attacks.

Shutting Down Call Centers Targeting Pensioners in Uganda

Ugandan authorities uncovered sophisticated transnational fraud rings operating out of localized call centers.

Police dismantled two major rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals linked to the schemes.

These syndicates ran organized, rotating call centers. Operators used pre-written scripts, fake trading platforms, and fraudulent websites to target Asian pensioners.

The call center operators persuaded elderly victims to invest their retirement savings into opportunities that did not actually exist.

Additional Arrests and Public-Private Collaboration

The crackdown reached several other nations as well. In the Republic of Congo, officers arrested 30 suspects connected to active cybercrime networks.

Interpol emphasized that modern law enforcement requires support from private cybersecurity organizations.

Several private-sector organizations supported the operation with intelligence and data tracking:

• Group-IB
• Kaspersky
• Uppsala Security (blockchain analytics)
• Meta

"Cybercrime networks operate without regard for borders, exploiting technology to target victims on an unprecedented scale," said Neal Jetton, Interpol's director of cybercrime.

Interpol noted that several investigations from Operation Serengeti III remain active. Officers are continuing to track down additional suspects and trace stolen assets.

The Wider Context: Crypto Crime Trends in Africa

This crackdown follows a previous effort known as Operation Catalyst in 2025. That joint initiative by Interpol and Afripol focused on terrorist financing and cybercrime.

Operation Catalyst led to the arrest of 83 individuals across six African nations.

During that 2025 action, authorities flagged $260 million in illicit crypto and traditional fiat currency, successfully seizing $600,000.

Officers also identified multiple high-value crypto wallets that Interpol noted were potentially linked to terrorist financing operations.

An Interpol expert explained that criminals in Africa are increasingly incorporating crypto into their operations.

However, officials pointed out that digital assets are not yet the primary channel for settling most cybercrime proceeds in the region.