The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has announced the arrest of 1,462 suspects and the disruption of 10,909 malicious networks in a multinational cybercrime crackdown involving Nigeria and 20 other countries.

The operation, tagged Operation Serengeti III, also led to the recovery of more than $105 million in illicit funds, while investigators identified 65,929 victims and linked criminal activities to financial losses exceeding $385 million.

According to INTERPOL, the operation ran from June 29 to August 31, 2026, targeting cyber-enabled fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams and digital extortion.

The agency said the operation brought together law enforcement authorities from 20 African countries and the United States, supported by private-sector cybersecurity partners.

Nigeria Arrests Suspects In Cybercrime Investigations

Nigeria was among the participating countries, with authorities investigating cases involving phishing, business email compromise and online investment fraud.

In one investigation, Nigerian authorities arrested a suspect allegedly linked to a large-scale phishing and business email compromise operation that harvested software credentials and collected approximately 2.1 million email addresses.

Investigators also recovered a luxury vehicle suspected to have been purchased with proceeds from criminal activity.

In a separate case, authorities arrested a suspect connected to an international investment fraud scheme promoted through messaging applications.

Financial investigations traced more than $2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which was allegedly laundered through cryptocurrency transactions.

INTERPOL said investigations arising from the operation remain ongoing, with authorities continuing efforts to identify additional suspects, trace illicit funds and analyse seized digital evidence.

Uganda, Angola Record Major Crackdowns

In Uganda, authorities dismantled two transnational fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals allegedly linked to online investment and pension fraud schemes targeting victims across Asia.

Investigators uncovered call centres that used scripted communications, fraudulent trading platforms and fake websites to persuade victims to invest in non-existent opportunities.

In Angola, authorities dismantled two illegal cryptocurrency mining centres and arrested nine suspects.

Officers seized more than 2,000 cryptocurrency mining devices and six illegal power transformation stations. The electrical infrastructure alone was valued at more than $1 million.

Other operations targeted a malicious mobile loan application scheme in Tanzania, a social media-based vehicle import fraud network in Gabon and a cybercrime operation in the Republic of Congo, where 30 suspects were arrested.

INTERPOL Warns Of Growing Cyber Threats

INTERPOL said the operation came amid an evolving cyber threat landscape in Africa, with artificial intelligence increasingly being used to facilitate cybercrime and financial losses continuing to rise.

Before the operation began, investigators received intelligence on suspicious domains, internet protocol addresses and command-and-control infrastructure associated with criminal activities.

Private-sector partners also provided technical analysis and intelligence to help authorities identify targets and map criminal networks.

INTERPOL Director of Cybercrime Neal Jetton said international cooperation remained essential in tackling criminal networks operating across national borders.

He said Operation Serengeti III demonstrated the importance of coordinated investigations in disrupting cybercriminal operations, recovering illicit assets and protecting communities from digital harm.

The operation involved Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.