Interpol Arrests Over 1,200 in African Cybercrime Crackdown

Interpol’s “Serengeti 2.0” operation across Africa arrested 1,209 cybercrime suspects, recovered $97.4 million, and identified 88,000 victims. Major busts included cryptocurrency mining in Angola, an inheritance scam in the Ivory Coast, and an online investment fraud in Zambia. Cybercrime now makes up over 30% of reported crime in parts of Africa.

More than 1,200 people were arrested in a major crackdown on cybercrime across Africa, authorities announced on Friday, marking one of the continent’s largest coordinated law enforcement efforts against online criminal networks. The international police organization Interpol led the operation, highlighting the increasingly sophisticated nature of cybercrime and its rapid growth across the region.

Investigators from 18 African countries, working in close collaboration with the United Kingdom, traced and identified around 88,000 victims of various forms of online fraud and illegal cryptocurrency operations, according to an official statement from Interpol. These victims suffered financial losses due to scams ranging from investment fraud to identity theft and elaborate online inheritance schemes.

Cybercrime has now become a significant threat in Africa, accounting for more than 30% of all reported crimes in West and East Africa, the agency said. Authorities emphasized that the rise in internet usage, coupled with the adoption of digital financial platforms, has created fertile ground for cybercriminals to exploit unsuspecting individuals and businesses.

The operation, named "Serengeti 2.0," was conducted over a three-month period from June to August. During this time, law enforcement successfully arrested 1,209 suspected cybercriminals, recovered approximately $97.4 million (€83.2 million) in illicit funds, and dismantled 11,432 malicious online infrastructures, including websites, servers, and digital accounts used for fraudulent purposes.

In Angola, authorities carried out a significant operation against cryptocurrency-related crimes, shutting down 25 mining centers that had been operated by Chinese nationals. These centers were involved in large-scale cryptocurrency mining, consuming substantial amounts of electricity in the process. Equipment seized during the raids was valued at an estimated $37 million and has now been earmarked by the Angolan government to improve power distribution in vulnerable areas, according to Interpol.

In the Ivory Coast, investigators uncovered a transnational inheritance scam, widely described as one of the oldest forms of internet fraud. Scammers tricked victims into paying upfront fees in order to claim inheritances that did not exist, resulting in financial losses estimated at $1.6 million. The operation successfully dismantled the network responsible for the scheme, disrupting their activities across multiple countries.

Meanwhile, in Zambia, authorities targeted a large network behind an online investment scam that defrauded more than 65,000 victims. The scheme, which promised high returns on digital investments, led to estimated losses of $300 million. Investigators worked to identify both the perpetrators and the victims, aiming to prevent further exploitation and provide justice for those affected.

Interpol described the Serengeti 2.0 operation as a critical step in strengthening law enforcement cooperation across borders and emphasized the importance of continued vigilance against cybercrime. The agency called for increased public awareness about online fraud and encouraged governments, businesses, and individuals to adopt stronger cybersecurity measures to protect against future threats.