Interpol announced the results of Operation Serengeti III, a coordinated cybercrime crackdown across Africa that ran from June 29 to August 31, 2026. Police from 21 countries arrested 1,462 suspects and recovered more than $105 million in illicit funds. The operation targeted ransomware, online scams, business email compromise, and digital extortion, disrupting 10,909 malicious networks. Financial investigations linked these networks to total losses exceeding $385 million for 65,929 identified victims.
A significant portion of the enforcement action focused on illegal cryptocurrency infrastructure and fraud. In Angola, investigators shut down two illegal crypto mining centers, arresting nine individuals and seizing over 2,000 mining devices along with six illegal power transformation stations. Interpol stated that the seized electrical equipment alone was valued at more than $1 million. In Nigeria, authorities traced over $2.4 million in suspected investment fraud proceeds, noting that much of this money was laundered through crypto transactions. A suspect was arrested for promoting an international investment fraud scheme via messaging apps.
Other notable developments included actions in Uganda, where officials dismantled two transnational fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals involved in online investment and pension scams targeting Asian victims. These rings utilized rotating call centers and fake trading platforms. Additionally, arrests were made in the Republic of Congo involving 30 suspects, and a Nigerian suspect was detained for running a phishing operation that collected approximately 2.1 million email addresses. Private-sector partners, including Group-IB, Kaspersky, Uppsala Security, and Meta, supported the multi-jurisdictional effort.
Operation Serengeti III demonstrates the expanding scope of law enforcement cooperation against cyber-enabled financial crimes in Africa, particularly highlighting the intersection of physical infrastructure violations and digital fraud. The seizure of illegal mining equipment in Angola underscores how energy theft is increasingly coupled with cryptocurrency operations, creating tangible operational risks for miners who rely on unauthorized grid connections. This approach moves beyond traditional digital forensics to include physical asset recovery, signaling a more holistic strategy against crypto-related criminality.
The laundering of fraud proceeds through crypto transactions in Nigeria illustrates the persistent challenge of tracing illicit flows in jurisdictions with varying levels of regulatory oversight. While Interpol notes that crypto is not yet the primary settlement method for most cybercrime proceeds, its role in layering and integration phases of money laundering remains critical. The involvement of blockchain analytics firms like Uppsala Security suggests that private-sector tools are becoming essential for public agencies to effectively trace these complex financial trails across borders.
