An international law enforcement operation led by Interpol has led to the arrest of 14 suspected cybercriminals in an operation codenamed “Africa Cyber Surge II.”
The four-month operation spanned 25 African countries and disrupted over 20,000 cybercrime networks engaged in extortion, phishing, BEC, and online scams, responsible for financial losses of over $40 million. Along with the arrests, the authorities have also taken down hundreds of malicious IP addresses that hosted malware and helped distribute dangerous software.
The suspects are accused of using a variety of techniques to steal money from victims, including phishing emails, fake invoices, and ransomware attacks. In one case, the suspects allegedly stole $1 million from a bank in Nigeria by hacking into its computer systems.
The arrests are a major victory in the fight against cybercrime. Interpol Secretary General Jürgen Stock said that the operation “sends a clear message to cybercriminals that they will be brought to justice, no matter where they are.”
The operation was coordinated by Interpol’s General Secretariat in Lyon, France, and involved law enforcement agencies from across Africa, as well as from the United States, the United Kingdom, and other countries.
