African Cybercrime Crackdown: 651 Suspects Arrested in Global Police Operation

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African Law Enforcement Agencies Crack Down on Cybercrime Rings, Arrest 651 Suspects

A joint operation by law enforcement agencies across 16 African countries has resulted in the arrest of 651 suspects and the recovery of over $4.3 million in a crackdown on investment fraud, mobile money scams, and fake loan applications.

Operation Red Card 2.0

The operation, dubbed Red Card 2.0, was coordinated by the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC) and targeted cybercrime operations linked to over $45 million in financial losses.

Victims and Arrests

According to INTERPOL, the operation identified 1,247 victims between December 8 and January 30. Authorities seized 2,341 devices and took down 1,442 malicious websites, domains, and servers during the joint action.

Country-Specific Arrests

In Nigeria, police dismantled an investment fraud ring that recruited young people to run phishing, identity theft, and fake investment schemes. Over 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts were taken down in the process. Additionally, six members of a Nigerian cybercrime gang were arrested for using stolen employee credentials to breach a major telecom provider.
In Kenya, 27 suspects were apprehended while investigating fraud networks that used social media and messaging platforms to lure victims into fake investment schemes.
In Côte d’Ivoire, 58 suspects were arrested as part of a crackdown on predatory mobile loan apps that targeted victims with hidden fees and abusive debt-collection practices.

“These syndicates inflict financial and psychological harm with their false promises,” said Neal Jetton, head of INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate. “Operation Red Card demonstrates the importance of collaboration in combating transnational cybercrime. We encourage all victims of cybercrime to reach out to law enforcement for help.”

Previous Operations

This operation is the latest in a series of INTERPOL-led efforts to combat African cybercrime. Last year, African law enforcement arrested 306 suspects in the first stage of Operation Red Card. Other notable operations include Operation Serengeti and Operation Africa Cyber Surge, which have resulted in thousands of arrests and the disruption of multiple multimillion-dollar operations.