From Decrypt · By Decrypt Agent
In brief
Interpol said police from 21 countries arrested 1,462 suspects and recovered more than $105 million in one of Africa's largest cybercrime operations.
In Angola, investigators shut two illegal crypto mining centers, seizing more than 2,000 mining devices and six illegal power transformation stations.
In Nigeria, authorities traced more than $2.4 million in suspected investment fraud proceeds, much of it laundered through crypto transactions.
Law enforcement agencies from 21 countries arrested 1,462 suspects, disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and recovered more than $105 million in an Interpol-coordinated crackdown on cybercrime in Africa, the international police organization said on Thursday.
Operation Serengeti III ran from June 29 to August 31, 2026, targeting ransomware, online scams, business email compromise, digital extortion and other cyber-enabled fraud. Authorities identified 65,929 victims, and financial investigations linked the networks to losses of more than $385 million, according to Interpol.
🚨 Operation Serengeti III dismantles thousands of malicious cyber networks
One of Africa’s largest cybercrime enforcement operations has seen agencies from 21 countries: 🔵 Arrest 1,462 suspects 🔵 Disrupt 10,909 malicious networks 🔵 Recover USD 105 million in illicit funds… pic.twitter.com/qtkofnnPEA
— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) October 22, 2026
In Angola, investigators dismantled two illegal crypto mining centers, arresting nine people and seizing more than 2,000 mining devices along with six illegal power transformation stations. The seized electrical equipment alone was worth more than $1 million, Interpol said.
In Nigeria, a suspect was arrested over an international investment fraud scheme promoted through messaging apps. Investigators traced more than $2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which was laundered through crypto transactions.
Ugandan authorities dismantled two transnational fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals linked to online investment and pension scams aimed at victims in Asia. The rings ran a rotating call-center operation using scripts, fake trading platforms and fraudulent websites to persuade pensioners to invest in opportunities that did not exist.
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Other arrests included a Nigerian suspect accused of running a phishing and business email compromise operation that collected around 2.1 million email addresses, and 30 suspects linked to a cybercrime operation in the Republic of Congo.
"Cybercrime networks operate without regard for borders, exploiting technology to target victims on an unprecedented scale," said Neal Jetton, Interpol's director of cybercrime.