Interpol arrests 1,006 in Africa for cybercrime in two months
1,006 people have been arrested in Africa by Interpol during a two-months cybercrime crackdown, the organisation announced on November 26th according to Africa News and agencies.
Operation Serengeti was conducted with African Union police agency Afripol, and took place from September 2nd to October 31st across 19 African countries.
Interpol said that the operation targeted criminals involved with ransomware, business email compromise schemes, digital extortion, and online fraud.
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“From pyramid schemes to large-scale credit card fraud, the growing volume and sophistication of cyberattacks are deeply concerning,” said Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza.
Interpol identified 35,000 victims across the world and reported losses of nearly $193 million. Local law enforcement agencies and private sector partners, including internet service providers, played an important role in the operation.
“With Serengeti, Afripol has significantly strengthened its support for law enforcement in African Union member states,” said Afripol’s Executive Director Jalel Chelba in the statement.
Nearly two dozen arrests were made by police in Kenya related to an online credit card fraud scheme linked to losses of $8.6 million. Eight were arrested in Senegal including five Chinese nationals for an online Ponzi scheme worth $6 million.
Chelba added that Afripol is now focusing on emerging threats such as AI-powered malware and advanced cyberattack techniques.
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There were other networks that were dismantled including a Cameroonian group suspected of using a pyramid scheme for human trafficking, an international criminal group in Angola running an illegal virtual casino and a cryptocurrency investment scam in Nigeria.
Interpol with its 196 members assists national police forces in combating terrorism, financial crimes, child exploitation, cybercrime, and organised crime by facilitating communication and tracking suspects.
The world’s largest police organisation faces challenges such as increasing cybercrime cases, rising child abuse incidents, and growing divisions among member countries.
Interpol’s budget last year was approximately €176 million ($188 million), compared to over €200 million for Europol, the EU’s police agency, and around $11 billion for the FBI in the United States.
Africa News
