INTERPOL’S Operation Serengeti III was a multinational crackdown conducted across 21 countries between 29 June and 31 August 2026, targeting online fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, scams and digital extortion. The operation culminated in 1,462 arrests and the disruption of 10,909 malicious networks, with more than USD 105 million recovered in illicit funds. Investigators identified 65,929 victims, and financial probes linked the criminal activity to losses exceeding USD 385 million.
The joint effort combined law enforcement across jurisdictions, private-sector threat intelligence and technical analysis to follow money flows, link infrastructure and preserve digital evidence.
The operation highlighted how criminal networks blend technological capabilities with social engineering. Uganda saw one of the largest actions, including the break-up of two international fraud networks and the arrest of 365 foreign nationals implicated in online investment and pension scams that spanned Asia.
In Nigeria, authorities traced a suspect connected to phishing and business email compromise, contributing to the recovery of about 2.1 million email addresses and seized assets such as a luxury car thought to be bought with criminal funds. The effort also targeted illegal cryptocurrency mining, with seizures of over 2,000 mining devices and six power stations in Angola, and other investigations into investment scams and loan-app fraud across the region.
INTERPOL noted ongoing investigations, emphasising that arrests and disruptions are meaningful but do not automatically reveal permanent dismantlement or complete victim redress, underscoring the need for continued international cooperation.