Nigerian law enforcement authorities have arrested suspects allegedly involved in large-scale cybercrime, including a phishing operation that collected about 2.1 million email addresses and an investment fraud scheme linked to more than $2.4 million in suspected illicit proceeds.
The arrests formed part of Operation Serengeti III, an international cybercrime enforcement exercise coordinated by the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL), which resulted in 1,462 arrests across 21 countries in Africa and beyond.
The operation, conducted between June 29 and August 31, 2026, targeted cybercriminal activities ranging from business email compromise and ransomware attacks to online investment scams and digital extortion.
According to INTERPOL, investigators disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and identified 65,929 victims during the operation. The crackdown also facilitated the recovery of more than $105 million in illicit funds, while the total financial losses associated with the criminal activities investigated exceeded $385 million.
In Nigeria, one investigation uncovered a phishing and business email compromise operation allegedly responsible for harvesting software credentials and gathering approximately 2.1 million email addresses. Authorities also recovered a luxury vehicle suspected to have been acquired with proceeds from criminal activities.
A separate probe focused on an international investment fraud scheme advertised through messaging platforms. The investigation led to the arrest of a suspect and revealed financial transactions involving more than $2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which investigators said had been channelled through cryptocurrency transactions.
INTERPOL linked the crackdown to growing cybercrime threats across Africa, noting that its 2026 African Cyber Threat Assessment Report highlighted the increasing use of artificial intelligence to facilitate criminal activities and the associated financial damage.
Before the operation began, investigators from 20 African countries and the United States received intelligence on suspicious internet domains, IP addresses and command-and-control infrastructure to support investigations and identify criminal networks.
Beyond Nigeria, authorities dismantled two transnational fraud networks in Uganda, arresting 365 foreign nationals suspected of involvement in online investment and pension scams targeting victims in Asia. In Angola, investigators shut down two illegal cryptocurrency mining facilities, arresting nine suspects and seizing more than 2,000 mining devices alongside six illegal power transformation stations valued at over $1 million.
Other operations targeted fraudulent mobile loan applications in Tanzania, a vehicle import scam operating through social media in Gabon, and a cybercrime network in the Republic of Congo, where 30 suspects were arrested.
INTERPOL Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international collaboration in confronting criminal networks that exploit digital technology across national borders. He stressed that coordinated enforcement remained critical to disrupting cybercrime, recovering criminal assets and protecting potential victims.
The operation received support from several cybersecurity firms, technology companies and international organisations, including Meta, Kaspersky, Fortinet, Group-IB and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance. Funding support came through the Global Action on Cybercrime Enhanced project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe.
INTERPOL said investigations arising from the operation were still ongoing, with authorities continuing efforts to identify additional suspects, examine seized digital evidence and trace funds believed to have originated from criminal activities.
