Legislation enforcement authorities in Africa have arrested over 1,200 suspects as a part of ‘Operation Serengeti 2.0,’ an INTERPOL-led worldwide crackdown focusing on cross-border cybercriminal gangs.
Between June and August 2025, legislation enforcement brokers seized $97.4 million and dismantled 11,432 malicious infrastructures linked to assaults that focused 87,858 victims worldwide.
“In a sweeping INTERPOL-coordinated operation, authorities throughout Africa have arrested 1,209 cybercriminals focusing on practically 88,000 victims,” Interpol stated on Friday.
“Operation Serengeti 2.0 (June to August 2025) introduced collectively investigators from 18 African international locations and the UK to sort out high-harm and high-impact cybercrimes together with ransomware, on-line scams and enterprise e-mail compromise (BEC).”
This operation was performed below the framework of the African Joint Operation in opposition to Cybercrime, funded by the UK’s Overseas, Commonwealth, and Growth Workplace.
The joint motion additionally utilized information from personal sector companions, together with Cybercrime Atlas, Fortinet, Group-IB, Kaspersky, The Shadowserver Basis, Group Cymru, Pattern Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Safety.
That is the most recent such operation focusing on cybercrime rings throughout Africa in recent times, with many different multi-million-dollar operations being dismantled or disrupted after earlier joint actions.
Extra lately, 306 suspected cybercriminals had been arrested between November 2024 and February 2025 as a part of ‘Operation Crimson Card,’ who had been linked to assaults that impacted over 5,000 victims worldwide.
Between September and October 2024, one other legislation enforcement motion dubbed ‘Operation Serengeti’ that Interpol additionally coordinated, led to the arrest of 1,006 suspects believed to be a part of cybercrime gangs behind ransomware, digital extortion, enterprise e-mail compromise (BEC), and on-line scams.
As a part of ‘Operation Africa Cyber Surge II,’ which launched in April 2023, police brokers from 25 African international locations apprehended 14 suspects linked to extortion, phishing, BEC, and on-line scams, liable for losses of greater than $40 million.
​”Every INTERPOL-coordinated operation builds on the final, deepening cooperation, rising data sharing and creating investigative expertise throughout member international locations,” stated Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary Normal of Interpol on Friday.
“With extra contributions and shared experience, the outcomes continue to grow in scale and impression. This international community is stronger than ever, delivering actual outcomes and safeguarding victims.”
46% of environments had passwords cracked, practically doubling from 25% final yr.
Get the Picus Blue Report 2025 now for a complete take a look at extra findings on prevention, detection, and information exfiltration tendencies.
