The International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) has successfully concluded “Operation Serengeti III,” one of the largest cybercrime enforcement sweeps across the African continent, resulting in the arrest of 1,462 suspects and the recovery of $105 million in illicit funds.

Carried out between June 29 and August 31, 2026, in close collaboration with law enforcement agencies from 21 participating countries—including Nigeria, Uganda, Angola, and South Africa—the two-month coordinated blitz targeted massive transnational cybercrime rings, online investment scams, and phishing syndicates.

In Nigeria, authorities apprehended suspects tied to large-scale phishing and business email compromise operations, including one individual who harvested roughly 2.1 million email addresses, as well as an international investment fraud scheme that laundered over $2.4 million through cryptocurrency transactions.

In Uganda, law enforcement dismantled two major transnational fraud rings and detained 365 foreign nationals operating deceptive online investment and pension scam call centers targeting victims in Asia.

In Angola, officials shut down illegal cryptocurrency mining centers, seizing thousands of mining devices and high-value electrical infrastructure valued at over $1 million.

INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, emphasized that the sweeping success of Operation Serengeti III demonstrates how robust international cooperation can effectively dismantle borderless digital crime networks and protect vulnerable communities worldwide.