Kaspersky has helped Interpol arrest 1 462 suspects and recover $105-million during the international law enforcement agency’s Serengeti III operations in Africa.
The third edition of Operation Serengeti took place from 29 June to 31 August and, in the law enforcement action, Interpol brought together its private partners, including Kaspersky, and investigators from 20 African countries and the US.
Serengeti III focused on neutralising such threats as cyber-enabled fraud, ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), online scams, and digital extortion, and identified nearly 66 000 victims targeted by detected cybercriminal networks. The financial losses caused by this criminal activity were estimated by financial investigators at $385-million.
To help law enforcement authorities identify targets, map criminal networks, and support investigative activities in the run-up to the operation, Kaspersky Threat Research expertise centre provided critical threat intelligence and technical analysis of the threats investigated. Kaspersky experts provided data on network infrastructure used in botnet and DDoS attacks, as well as information on phishing and malicious URLs targeting African users.
Interpol’s director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, says: ”Cybercrime networks operate without regard for borders, exploiting technology to target victims on an unprecedented scale. Operation Serengeti III reinforces a clear message: while cybercrime is increasingly borderless, international cooperation remains one of the most effective tools for disrupting criminal networks, recovering criminal assets, and protecting communities from digital harm.”
Yuliya Shlychkova, vice-president of Global Public Affairs at Kaspersky, adds: “The borderless nature of cybercrime makes it impossible for a single organisation or country to confront it on its own. This is why Kaspersky is actively cooperating with partners around the globe to share its deep knowledge of cyberthreats and is proud to be a regular contributor to Interpol-coordinated efforts and expand the fruitful record of joint operations year after year.”
Operation Serengeti III highlights:
- In Uganda, authorities dismantled two transnational fraud rings and arrested 365 foreign nationals linked to sophisticated online investment and pension fraud schemes targeting victims across Asia.
- In Angola, investigators dismantled two illegal cryptocurrency mining centres, arresting nine suspects.
- In Nigeria, authorities arrested a suspect behind a large-scale phishing and business email compromise operation that harvested software credentials and amassed approximately 2,1-million email addresses.
A separate Nigerian investigation targeted an international investment fraud scheme promoted via messaging apps, leading to the arrest of a suspect.
In addition to suspect arrests and recovered financial damage, the operation disrupted nearly 11 000 malicious networks involved in cyber offenses. At the moment, several investigations stemming from Operation Serengeti III remain active, with authorities continuing efforts to identify additional suspects, trace illicit proceeds, and analyse digital evidence seized during the operation.