An international law enforcement operation targeting cybercriminal organizations across Africa has resulted in 1,462 arrests and the disruption of nearly 11,000 malicious networks. Authorities have also recovered more than $105 million linked to illegal activities. This marks another significant effort to combat online fraud and cyberattacks across the continent.
The crackdown, known as Operation Serengeti III, took place between June 29 and August 31, 2026, with participation from law enforcement agencies in 21 countries. Interpol coordinated the investigation, which focused on ransomware, business email compromise, investment fraud, and other cyber-enabled financial crimes.
According to Interpol, 65,929 victims have been identified, and criminal activities with estimated financial losses exceeding $385 million have been uncovered. The operation also resulted in the dismantling of 10,909 malicious networks used to support cybercrime operations.
Some of the largest arrests occurred in Uganda, where authorities dismantled two international fraud networks suspected of conducting online investment and pension scams. Police detained 365 individuals allegedly connected to the operations, which targeted victims through deceptive financial schemes.
In Angola, investigators uncovered illegal cryptocurrency mining facilities and arrested nine suspects. Authorities confiscated more than 2,000 mining devices, disrupting operations that relied on unauthorized mining infrastructure.
Another investigation in Nigeria led to the arrest of a suspect allegedly responsible for a large phishing and business email compromise operation. Investigators believe the individual collected approximately 2.1 million email addresses and harvested software credentials, potentially enabling further unauthorized access and fraud.
The operation also targeted fraudulent mobile lending applications, cryptocurrency investment schemes and scams involving vehicle imports. These activities demonstrate the variety of methods used by criminal networks to obtain money and personal information from victims.
Private cybersecurity companies, including Team Cymru, Kaspersky, Group-IB and Fortinet, supported the investigation by providing technical expertise and threat intelligence. Their contributions helped investigators identify suspicious internet domains, malicious IP addresses and infrastructure used to control compromised systems.
Operation Serengeti III follows two earlier international crackdowns coordinated by Interpol. The original operation in 2024 resulted in 1,006 arrests and approximately $44 million in recovered funds, while Serengeti 2.0 in 2025 led to 1,209 arrests and the recovery of $97.4 million.