Operation Serengeti III Leads to 1,462 Arrests and USD 105 Million Recovered Across Africa
Do Son 
Illegal cryptocurrency mining centre in Angola | Image: Interpol
| At a glance | |
| Actor | Cybercrime networks operating across Africa |
| Activity | Cyber-enabled fraud, ransomware, BEC, online scams, and digital extortion |
| Targets | 65,929 identified victims, per INTERPOL |
| Scale | Linked losses above USD 385 million; more than USD 105 million recovered |
| Status | 1,462 suspects arrested in 21 countries; many cases still active |
| Source | INTERPOL press release and Fortinet blog |
TL;DR
Police in 21 countries arrested 1,462 suspects during Operation Serengeti III, an INTERPOL-led Africa cybercrime crackdown. Authorities disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and recovered more than USD 105 million. Fortinet says the three Serengeti operations have now recovered about USD 246.4 million in total.
What happened
The operation ran from June 29 to August 31, 2026. It targeted fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams, and digital extortion. Before it began, investigators from 20 African countries and the US received intelligence on suspicious domains, IP addresses, and command servers.
Private firms played a key role. Fortinet’s FortiGuard Labs and the World Economic Forum’s Cybercrime Atlas were among the partners. They helped “identify targets, map criminal networks, and support investigative activities,” according to INTERPOL.
Key cases
- Uganda: Police broke up two fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals. The suspects allegedly ran fake trading sites that targeted pensioners in Asia.
- Angola: Investigators shut two illegal crypto mining centers, arrested nine suspects, and seized over 2,000 mining devices.
- Nigeria: Police arrested a suspect allegedly behind a phishing and BEC scheme that gathered about 2.1 million email addresses. Another arrest followed an investment fraud linked to more than USD 2.4 million in suspected proceeds.
Authorities also disrupted a malicious loan app scheme in Tanzania and a vehicle import scam in Gabon. In addition, police arrested 30 suspects in the Republic of Congo.
Who is behind it
INTERPOL has not named the suspects or the networks behind the schemes. The 1,462 people arrested remain suspects, and no convictions have been reported. INTERPOL also describes the Uganda fraud rings as transnational.
Impact and scale
Investigators in Operation Serengeti III identified 65,929 victims. Financial probes linked the networks to losses above USD 385 million.
The results build on earlier rounds. According to Fortinet, Operation Serengeti I in 2024 led to 1,006 arrests and about USD 44 million recovered. Serengeti 2.0 in 2025 added 1,209 arrests and USD 97.4 million. Fortinet’s cumulative USD 246.4 million figure combines these reported totals.
INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said that “international cooperation remains one of the most effective tools for disrupting criminal networks.” Fortinet makes a similar point. It says sharing intelligence “helps investigators connect criminal activity across borders.”
What comes next
Several investigations from Operation Serengeti III remain open. Authorities are still tracing funds and reviewing seized evidence. Meanwhile, INTERPOL’s 2026 African threat report warns that AI is fueling more cybercrime across the continent.
How to stay protected
- Be wary of investment offers that promise high returns, especially through messaging apps.
- Verify payment change requests by phone to block BEC fraud.
- Use only official app stores for loan and finance apps.
- Report suspected scams to local police or national cybercrime units.
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