Nigerian authorities have joined forces with law enforcement agencies across Africa in a major cybercrime crackdown that led to 1,209 arrests and the recovery of USD 97.4 million, according to the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL).
The operation, code-named Serengeti 2.0 and coordinated by INTERPOL between June and August 2025, targeted high-impact cybercrimes including ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and online investment scams. Nigeria was one of 18 African countries, alongside the United Kingdom, that took part in the operation.
The wider African operation dismantled 11,432 malicious infrastructures, ranging from command-and-control servers to fraudulent domains. In Angola authorities shut down 25 illegal cryptocurrency mining centres operated by 60 Chinese nationals who were unlawfully validating blockchain transactions to generate digital currency.
The crackdown also led to the seizure of 45 unauthorised power stations and mining equipment valued at over USD 37 million. The Angolan government has announced plans to repurpose the confiscated infrastructure to improve electricity access in underserved communities.
The operation, coordinated by INTERPOL between June and August 2025, targeted high-impact cybercrime across 18 African nations and the United Kingdom. In total, 1,209 suspects were arrested and 11,432 malicious infrastructures dismantled, with USD 97.4 million recovered from criminal networks.
In Zambia, law enforcement dismantled a large-scale online investment fraud scheme that defrauded approximately 65,000 victims of an estimated USD 300 million. The perpetrators used aggressive advertising to lure individuals into cryptocurrency investments, requiring them to download multiple apps to participate. Authorities arrested 15 suspects and seized digital evidence, including domains, mobile numbers, and bank accounts. Investigations are ongoing, with a focus on identifying overseas collaborators.
Zambian officials also disrupted a suspected human trafficking network during joint operations with the Immigration Department in Lusaka. A scam centre was uncovered, and 372 forged passports from seven countries were confiscated.
In Côte d’Ivoire, police dismantled a transnational inheritance scam linked to Germany. The primary suspect was arrested, and assets including electronics, jewellery, cash, vehicles, and documents were seized. Victims were deceived into paying fees to claim fictitious inheritances, resulting in losses estimated at USD 1.6 million.
INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza stressed the importance of international collaboration: “Each INTERPOL-coordinated operation builds on the last, deepening cooperation, increasing information sharing and developing investigative skills across member countries. With more contributions and shared expertise, the results keep growing in scale and impact. This global network is stronger than ever, delivering real outcomes and safeguarding victims”.
Ahead of the operation, investigators underwent specialised training in open-source intelligence, cryptocurrency tracing, and ransomware analysis. These workshops enhanced their technical capabilities and contributed to the success of the operation.
Preventive efforts were also integrated through the International Cyber Offender Prevention Network (InterCOP), a consortium of law enforcement agencies from 36 countries led by the Netherlands. The initiative aims to detect and disrupt cybercriminal activity before it escalates.
Operation Serengeti 2.0 was conducted under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime and received funding from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.
It was supported by several private sector partners, including Cybercrime Atlas, Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, The Shadowserver Foundation, Team Cymru, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security.
