Interpol announced Friday that over 1,200 suspects were arrested and roughly $100 million recovered in a sweeping African cybercrime crackdown. The operation, named “Serengeti 2.0,” involved the United Kingdom and 18 African nations, running between June and August this year.
Authorities identified some 88,000 victims of online fraud and illegal cryptocurrency networks, highlighting a growing digital menace across the continent. Interpol reported that online fraud has surged by 3,000 percent in parts of Africa during the past year alone.
Cybercrime now represents more than 30 percent of all reported offenses in both West and East African regions, the report stated. Angolan authorities shut down 25 cryptocurrency mining centres, operated illegally by Chinese nationals, seizing equipment valued at an estimated $37 million.
The seized funds are set to improve electricity distribution in Angola, reflecting a rare positive turn from illicit activities, Interpol said. In Ivory Coast, officials dismantled a transnational inheritance scam, an enduring online fraud that defrauded victims of about $1.6 million.
Zambian investigators targeted an online investment network, identifying approximately 65,000 victims who collectively lost nearly $300 million in recent years. Interpol’s operation underlines a relentless fight against cybercrime, signalling international cooperation is crucial to confronting Africa’s escalating digital threats.