INTERPOL has successfully conducted one of its largest operations against cybercrime across Africa, resulting in the arrest of over 1,000 suspects and the dismantling of numerous criminal networks. Dubbed 'Operation Serengeti', this extensive policing action spanned the months from September 2 to October 31, 2024, and involved collaboration with Afripol, the police agency for the African Union.
Operation Serengeti shone a spotlight on the troubling increase of sophisticated cybercrime incidents plaguing the continent. Valdecy Urquiza, INTERPOL's Secretary General, expressed grave concern over the growing volume of these sophisticated attacks. "From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, these incidents represent serious issues for our societies," Urquiza noted.
The operation encompassed activity across 19 African nations, including notable ones such as Kenya, Senegal, Nigeria, and Cameroon. Authorities uncovered about 35,000 victims globally, who collectively experienced financial losses nearing $193 million. Notably, these included victims of Ponzi schemes and online scams, which have cost individuals and businesses significant amounts.
Significant busts were made during Operation Serengeti, including the arrest of nearly two dozen individuals linked to online credit card fraud in Kenya which had resulted in losses of approximately $8.6 million. Meanwhile, Senegal's police apprehended eight suspects connected to a $6 million Ponzi scheme, including five foreign nationals. Search efforts conducted after the arrests revealed 900 SIM cards and around $11,000 cash, along with numerous digital devices associated with the victims.
The ramifications of this operation were felt across multiple sectors, with cybercrime's heavy toll evident on both individuals and businesses. The illegal virtual casino operation, discovered during the crackdown, primarily targeted Brazilian and Nigerian gamblers, exploiting them through deceptive practices.
Notably, the coordination of this massive policing initiative relied heavily on intelligence sharing and collaboration with local law enforcement, private sector partners, and internet service providers across participating nations. Group-IB, the cybersecurity firm, played an instrumental role by identifying 10,000 DDoS attacks originating from servers based within Africa, alongside the discovery of over 3,000 phishing domains.
Key participants, including experts from Group-IB, shared valuable insights via Cyber Analytical Reports, which enabled law enforcement to effectively target criminal activities occurring on the continent. INTERPOL prepared these comprehensive reports based on information exchanged by contributing countries, ensuring actions on the ground were driven by solid intelligence.
The successful outcomes of Operation Serengeti mark significant progress compared to previous efforts, which had yielded only 25 arrests over the past two years. This marked increase highlights enhancements made by participating countries to cooperate on intelligence-driven operations, with Enrique Hernandez Gonzalez, INTERPOL’s Assistant Director of Cybercrime Operations, emphasizing this change.
The unprecedented scale of arrests and dismantled infrastructures during Operation Serengeti also prompted Afripol's Executive Director, Jalel Chelba, to comment on the improvement of law enforcement capacities across African Union Member States. Chelba noted the focus would expand to include addressing threats from innovative crime techniques, such as those involving artificial intelligence.
The breadth of crimes tackled during this operation also witnessed local police apprehending members of various scam rings using multi-level marketing strategies as fronts for human trafficking operations. Authorities described these practices as deeply concerning and indicative of broader criminal networks taking root across the continent.
Despite the positive strides made with Operation Serengeti, Urquiza reminded stakeholders of the continuing challenges, including the sustained efforts required to combat rising cyber crimes and address the ramifications of child sex abuse cases implied within the growing caseload facing INTERPOL and its member entities.
The collaborative nature of this operation, coupled with the involvement of experienced private sectors players, reaffirmed the importance of cross-border partnerships to tackle crime, especially as the complexity and frequency of digital offenses continue to increase.
Moving forward, INTERPOL affirms its commitment to continue engaging with global partners to confront these challenges, constantly working toward saving countless victims from becoming collateral damage of increasingly sophisticated cybercriminal enterprises. The world of cybercrime is ever-evolving, and as Urquiza succinctly stated, "we know this is just the tip of the iceberg, which is why we will continue targeting these criminal groups worldwide."
