In a significant victory against cybercrime, INTERPOL has announced the successful completion of the second phase of Operation Serengeti, a major law enforcement initiative. This operation, which ran from June to August 2025, involved authorities from 18 countries across Africa working together to dismantle criminal networks. The coordinated effort resulted in the arrest of 1,209 cybercriminals who had collectively victimized approximately 88,000 people. This widespread crackdown highlights the borderless nature of cybercrime and the critical importance of international cooperation in fighting it.
Operation Serengeti’s success extends beyond the sheer number of arrests. The operation led to the recovery of a staggering $97.4 million in illicit funds. Additionally, law enforcement officials were able to dismantle 11,432 malicious infrastructures, severely hampering the criminals’ ability to operate. These infrastructures included everything from servers used for scams to cryptocurrency mining centers. The financial and infrastructural damage inflicted upon these criminal organizations serves as a powerful deterrent and disrupts their ongoing activities, protecting potential future victims from similar schemes.
The operation yielded several key successes, each showcasing the diverse nature of modern cybercrime. In Angola, authorities dismantled 25 cryptocurrency mining centers, arresting 60 Chinese nationals and confiscating over $37 million in equipment and illicit power stations. This equipment will now be used to support power distribution in vulnerable areas. Meanwhile, in Zambia, a large-scale online investment fraud operation was taken down, which had defrauded 65,000 victims of an estimated $300 million. The Zambian bust also led to the disruption of a scam center and a suspected human trafficking network, revealing the complex connections between different types of organized crime.
Operation Serengeti targeted a wide range of cybercrimes, demonstrating the varied threats posed by online criminals. The initiative focused on severe crimes such as ransomware, which cripples businesses and organizations by locking their data, and business email compromise (BEC), where criminals trick employees into making fraudulent transfers. The bust of a transnational inheritance scam originating in Germany further illustrates the variety of tactics used by these criminals. This scam alone caused an estimated loss of $1.6 million before the primary suspect was arrested and valuable assets like electronics and jewelry were confiscated.
The success of Operation Serengeti is a clear testament to the effectiveness of cross-border collaboration in the digital age. As cybercriminals continue to operate globally, law enforcement agencies must adapt and work together to counter their efforts. The first phase of this initiative occurred late last year, and the second phase’s results show a sustained commitment to combating these threats. By sharing intelligence, resources, and expertise, countries can effectively dismantle even the most sophisticated criminal networks, making the online world safer for everyone.
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