‘Tip of the Iceberg’

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Police arrested more than 1,000 people suspected of cybercrimes across 19 African countries between September and October, Interpol announced this week, in a coordinated operation aimed at combatting rising cyber threats on the continent, the Washington Post reported.

The operation, dubbed Operation Serengeti, was a joint cooperation between Interpol and the African Union’s policing agency, Afripol.

It targeted cybercrimes such as ransomware, phishing, digital extortion, and online scams. Local law enforcement agencies and private-sector partners, including Internet service providers, played a major role in the effort.

Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza called the results a testament to international cooperation, noting that cybercrime’s increasing complexity demands collective action.

The international police organization identified some 35,000 victims worldwide, with financial losses totaling nearly $193 million.

In Kenya, police arrested nearly two dozen individuals connected to a credit card fraud operation that caused $8.6 million in damages. In Senegal, authorities apprehended eight suspects, including five Chinese nationals, for running a Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 1,800 people of $6 million, Africanews noted.

Meanwhile, Nigerian police arrested a suspect behind cryptocurrency scams, believed to have made over $300,000.

The operation also uncovered human trafficking networks in Cameroon, where victims from seven countries were lured with false job offers, then held captive and forced to operate pyramid schemes.

According to a United Nations report and Interpol findings, many people involved in online scams are trafficking victims coerced into illegal activities under abusive conditions.

Urquiza and other officials also warned about the growing sophistication of cybercrime, including the use of AI-powered malware and digital extortion. Afripol executive director Jalel Chelba emphasized the need for continued international collaboration to address emerging threats.

While Operation Serengeti marks significant progress, Urquiza cautioned that these arrests represent “just the tip of the iceberg,” underscoring the ongoing challenges posed by cybercrime, which costs the global economy hundreds of millions annually.