INTERPOL arrests 1,006 cybercrime suspects across Africa.

Published 3:50 PM ET, Wednesday November 27, 2024

Interpol arrested 1,006 suspects in Africa during a massive two-month operation, clamping down on cybercrime that left tens of thousands of victims, including some who were trafficked, and produced millions in financial damages, the global police organization said Tuesday.

Operation Serengeti, a joint operation with Afripol, the African Union’s police agency, ran from Sept. 2 to Oct. 31 in 19 African countries and targeted criminals behind ransomware, business email compromise, digital extortion, and online scams, the agency said in a statement.

“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,” said Valdecy Urquiza, the Secretary General of Interpol.

Jalel Chelba, Afripol’s executive director, said in the statement, “Through Serengeti, Afripol has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union member states.”

Chelba said Afripol’s focus now includes emerging threats like Artificial Intelligence-driven malware and advanced cyberattack techniques.

Interpol’s Assistant Director of Cybercrime Operations, Enrique Hernandez Gonzalez, reported a significant increase in cybercrime operations in Africa compared to previous years. The country’s intelligence capabilities have improved, with recent arrests in Kenya and Senegal for online fraud and Ponzi schemes.

“Significant progress has been made, with participating countries enhancing their ability to work with intelligence and produce meaningful results,” Gonzalez said.

In Kenya, the police made nearly two dozen arrests in an online credit card fraud case linked to losses of $8.6 million. In the West African country of Senegal, officers arrested eight people, including five Chinese nationals, for a $6 million online Ponzi scheme.

Other dismantled networks included a group in Cameroon suspected of using a multi-level marketing scam for human trafficking, an international criminal group in Angola running an illegal virtual casino, and a cryptocurrency investment scam in Nigeria, the agency said.

Interpol, which has 196 member countries and celebrated its centennial last year, works to help national police forces communicate with each other and track suspects and criminals in fields like counterterrorism, financial crime, child pornography, cybercrime, and organized crime.