By Frank Fang
A sweeping intergovernmental operation coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has resulted in the arrests of 1,209 alleged cybercriminals across Africa and the takedown of 11,432 malicious infrastructures, the agency announced on Aug. 22.
Investigators from 18 African countries and the United Kingdom took part in the crackdown, dubbed Operation Serengeti 2.0, that lasted from June to August. Authorities tackled cybercrimes including ransomware, online scams, business email compromise, and inheritance scams, and recovered $97.4 million.
A total of 87,858 individuals fell victim to these cybercrimes, Interpol said.
In Angola, Interpol said local authorities dismantled 25 cryptocurrency mining centers where 60 Chinese nationals were “illegally validating blockchain transactions to generate cryptocurrency.” Additionally, authorities confiscated 45 illegal power stations, as well as mining and IT equipment valued at over $37 million, which the Angolan government has allocated to vulnerable areas for supporting power distribution.
In Zambia, local authorities dismantled a large-scale online investment scheme that defrauded about 65,000 victims of an estimated $300 million through a cryptocurrency scam, Interpol said.
“The scammers lured victims into investing in cryptocurrency through extensive advertising campaigns promising high-yield returns. Victims were then instructed to download multiple apps to participate,” Interpol said, noting that 15 individuals in connection to the scam had been arrested. Evidence including domains, mobile numbers, and bank accounts tied to the scam had also been seized.
Zambian authorities also located a scam center, disrupted a suspected human trafficking network, and confiscated 372 fake passports from seven countries.
In the Ivory Coast, a transnational inheritance scam originating from Germany was dismantled, Interpol said, in which victims had been tricked into paying a total of about $1.6 million to claim fake inheritances.
“Despite being one of the oldest-running internet frauds, inheritance scams continue to generate significant funds for criminal organizations,” Interpol said.
Interpol said that the crackdown was supported by the private sector and several security organizations, including Fortinet, Group-IB, and TRM Labs.
In a blog post published on its website on Aug. 23, TRM Labs said it provided leads to authorities in Ghana and the Seychelles ahead of their operations.
“In Ghana, investigators pursued leads tied to the Bl00dy ransomware group, a Conti spin-off that has targeted education, healthcare, and public sector victims worldwide,” TRM Labs wrote. “Analysis suggested that elements of Bl00dy’s laundering infrastructure were active in the country, pointing to an affiliate or operator on the ground.”
TRM Labs said that investigators in the Seychelles acted on intelligence connected to the RansomHub ransomware group, leading to a wider range of targets and the dismantling of additional criminal infrastructure.
Fortinet said in a blog post that its intelligence helped Zambian authorities “pinpoint key infrastructure and threat actors” behind the cryptocurrency investment scam.
African countries involved in the crackdown have included Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, the Ivory Coast, Democratic Republic of Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Seychelles, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Valdecy Urquiza, secretary-general of Interpol, emphasized the importance of governments and partners working together.
“Each INTERPOL-coordinated operation builds on the last, deepening cooperation, increasing information sharing and developing investigative skills across member countries. With more contributions and shared expertise, the results keep growing in scale and impact. This global network is stronger than ever, delivering real outcomes and safeguarding victims,” Urquiza said in a statement.
Interpol’s Operation Serengeti, conducted from Sept. 2, 2024, to Oct. 31, 2024, across 19 African countries, led to the arrest of 1,006 cybercrime suspects, according to the agency.
The 2024 operation identified more than 35,000 victims tied to nearly $193 million in financial losses worldwide.
Eight individuals, including five Chinese nationals, were arrested in Senegal in the 2024 operation, for an online Ponzi scheme worth $6 million affecting 1,811 victims, according to Interpol.
In August, Nigeria’s Economic and Financial Crimes Commission announced the deportation of 50 Chinese nationals and a Tunisian who were convicted of cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
Separately, the commission announced in June that 17 Chinese nationals had been sentenced to one year in prison for cyber-terrorism and internet fraud.
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