Interpol Cracks Down on Cybercrime: Operation Serengeti 2.0

Interpol has arrested 1,209 suspects across Africa in a major cybercrime crackdown, recovering nearly USD 97.4 million. Named Operation Serengeti 2.0, the mission targeted various scams impacting 88,000 victims. Successful arrests and confiscations were executed in Angola, Zambia, and the Ivory Coast, countering fraud schemes and criminal networks.

Interpol's coordinated cybercrime crackdown, dubbed Operation Serengeti 2.0, led to the arrest of 1,209 suspects across Africa and the recovery of nearly USD 97.4 million, the organization announced on Friday.

Taking place from June to August, the initiative aimed to combat cybercrimes like inheritance scams, ransomware, and business email compromise. It saw collaboration from investigators in 18 African countries and the UK, addressing scams that collectively victimized approximately 88,000 people.

Key operations in Angola dismantled 25 cryptocurrency mining centers, while Zambian authorities took down an investment scam defrauding over 65,000 individuals. The efforts also disrupted a human trafficking network in Zambia and halted a transnational inheritance scam originating from Germany in the Ivory Coast.

(With inputs from agencies.)