INTERPOL’s Operation Serengeti: Over 1,000 Arrested Across Africa

INTERPOL has concluded Operation Serengeti, a sweeping crackdown on cybercrime that resulted in the arrest of 1,006 suspects across 19 African nations and the dismantling of 134,089 malicious networks.

Conducted between September 2 and October 31, 2024, the operation targeted ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and online scams, exposing the growing scale of cyber threats in Africa.

The operation, conducted in partnership with AFRIPOL, united law enforcement from 19 African countries in a joint effort to counteract increasingly sophisticated cybercrime.

Overview of Operation Serengeti

Operation Serengeti was conducted in collaboration with AFRIPOL, the African Union’s police organization. The participating nations included:

• Algeria
• Angola
• Benin
• Cameroon
• Côte d’Ivoire
• Democratic Republic of the Congo
• Gabon
• Ghana
• Kenya
• Mauritius
• Mozambique
• Nigeria
• Rwanda
• Senegal
• South Africa
• Tanzania
• Tunisia
• Zambia
• Zimbabwe

The operation aimed to address the rapidly growing threat of cybercrime in Africa, which has become increasingly sophisticated and prevalent.

Victims and Financial Impact

By tracing malicious infrastructures and networks, authorities identified over 35,000 victims globally, with financial losses linked to these crimes nearing $193 million.

A notable breakthrough was the takedown of a $6 million Ponzi scheme in Senegal, where eight suspects, including five Chinese nationals, were arrested. Authorities recovered 900 SIM cards, laptops, phones, and documents tied to over 1,800 victims. In Angola, law enforcement dismantled a fraudulent virtual casino targeting gamblers in Brazil and Nigeria.

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza stressed the urgency of addressing cybercrime’s growing complexity:
“From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern. Operation Serengeti shows what we can achieve by working together.”

The operation’s success was bolstered by private sector collaborations, with internet service providers offering crucial intelligence and infrastructure support. These partnerships not only helped identify vulnerabilities but also contributed to securing critical infrastructure across the continent.

Emerging threats, such as AI-driven malware, are now a focus for AFRIPOL, according to Executive Director Jalel Chelba. Insights gained from Operation Serengeti will help refine strategies to combat evolving cybercrime tactics.