A sweeping cybercrime operation across 19 African countries has resulted in 574 arrests and the recovery of roughly $3 million, according to INTERPOL. The month‑long initiative, Operation Sentinel, ran from 27 October to 27 November and targeted three of the region’s fastest‑growing digital threats: business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and ransomware.
Coordinated by INTERPOL with support from Europol and private‑sector partners, the operation dismantled more than 6,000 malicious online links and decrypted six ransomware variants. Investigators estimate that cyberattacks tied to the operation caused more than $21 million in financial losses. Ghana alone seized over 100 digital devices connected to cyber‑fraud activity.
Several countries reported major interventions that prevented significant financial damage. In Senegal, authorities halted a $7.9 million BEC scheme after attackers infiltrated a petroleum company’s internal email system and attempted to authorize a fraudulent wire transfer. Quick action allowed investigators to freeze the destination accounts before funds were withdrawn.
Ghana recorded multiple high‑impact cases, including a ransomware attack that encrypted about 100 terabytes of data at a financial institution and stole $120,000. Investigators identified the ransomware strain and developed a decryption tool that restored nearly 30 terabytes of data. In a separate case, Ghanaian authorities dismantled a cyber‑fraud network impersonating fast‑food brands, stealing more than $400,000 from over 200 victims. Ten suspects were arrested and 30 fraudulent servers were taken offline.
Additional arrests were made across the region, including 106 suspects in Benin linked to extortion schemes and online scams, and swift action in Cameroon that stopped further losses in a phishing operation involving fake vehicle sales. INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said the results highlight both the rising sophistication of cyberattacks in Africa and the growing effectiveness of coordinated international response efforts.
