Group-IB, a leading creator of cybersecurity technologies to investigate, prevent and fight digital crime, has announced its contribution to INTERPOL’s ‘Operation Serengeti 2.0’, conducted between June and August 2025.
The multinational operation resulted in the arrest of 1,209 cybercriminals across Africa who had targeted nearly 88,000 victims worldwide, and the recovery of US$97.4 million. Investigators from 18 African countries and the United Kingdom also dismantled 11,432 malicious infrastructures and networks used to facilitate ransomware attacks, online scams and business email compromise (BEC). These threats were also highlighted by Group-IB in the recent INTERPOL Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report.
As an INTERPOL Gateway Partner, Group-IB contributed intelligence on a cryptocurrency investment scam and malicious infrastructure linked to BEC campaigns, as well as broader findings on infrastructure hosted across the region. In the run-up to the operation, Group-IB also delivered workshops on open-source intelligence tools and Dark Web investigations to strengthen investigators’ skills.
Operational highlights:
- Angola: Authorities dismantled 25 cryptocurrency mining centres run by 60 Chinese nationals and confiscated equipment and power stations worth more than US$37 million.
- Zambia: Investigators disrupted an online fraud scheme affecting 65,000 victims with estimated losses of US$300 million, arrested 15 suspects and seized domains, accounts and evidence. Another joint operation dismantled a scam centre linked to human trafficking, confiscating 372 forged passports.
- Côte d’Ivoire: Officers dismantled a transnational inheritance scam, arresting the primary suspect and seizing electronics, jewellery, cash and vehicles, with losses estimated at US$1.6 million.
“Each INTERPOL-coordinated operation builds on the last, deepening co-operation, increasing information sharing and developing investigative skills across member countries. With more contributions and shared expertise, the results keep growing in scale and impact. This global network is stronger than ever, delivering real outcomes and safeguarding victims,” said Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL.
“Cybercrime recognises no borders, and its impact is truly global. The success of Operation Serengeti 2.0 demonstrates what can be achieved when nations stand together against this threat. By dismantling criminal infrastructures and bringing offenders to justice, we are not only protecting victims across Africa but also strengthening the resilience of the entire digital ecosystem,” said Dmitry Volkov, CEO of Group-IB.
Operation Serengeti 2.0 follows ‘Operation Serengeti’, an INTERPOL and AFRIPOL-led initiative held from September to October 2024 across 19 African countries. That effort led to 1,006 arrests, the dismantling of over 134,000 malicious infrastructures and the identification of 35,000 victims linked to nearly US$193 million in losses.
