- Interpol reveals a successful operation of the police in seven African countries
- More than 300 people have been arrested and around 2,000 electronic devices seized
- About $ 100,000 has been recovered, says Interpol
Interpol and a coalition of seven African law enforcement agencies have recently arrested more than 300 people and have entered nearly 2,000 electronic devices in a major repression against cybercrime.
The agency said that Operation Red Card, which was active between November 2024 and February 2025, aimed to “disturb and dismantle cross -border criminal networks that cause significant damage to individuals and businesses”.
More than 5,000 people were victims, said Interpol, adding that more than $ 305,000 had been stolen by Rwanda in Rwanda. Just over $ 100,000 has been recovered. The operation included Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo and Zambia.
Help of cybersecurity experts
Individuals were involved in all kinds of criminal activities, said Interpol.
They directed mobile banking scams, investment fraud, online casino scams, fraud and SMIRAGES of the SIM box, telephone hack based on malware, identity theft, etc. They whiten the money stolen from digital assets.
Interpol has also received information by three cybersecurity outfits: the group-IB, Trend Micro and Kaspersky.
The latter firm said that it had analyzed a sample of Android malware that would have targeted African users and shared it with the police, as well as data on related infrastructure.
Interpol added that the Nigerian authorities have created: “Some people working in scam centers may also be victims of the trafficking in human beings, forced or forced into criminal activities.”
The results also led the police to seize 26 vehicles, 16 houses, 39 plots of land and 685 aircraft. It is not known if the assets were bought with stolen money.
“The success of Operation Red Card demonstrates the power of international cooperation in the fight against cybercrime, which does not experience borders and can have devastating effects on individuals and communities. The recovery of important assets and devices, as well as the arrest of key suspects, sends a strong message to cybercriminal that their activities will not be delimited and will not be criticized Nealton, Interpol, the director of the Cybercrime Directorate.
