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Major Crackdown on Cybercrime in Africa
Kaspersky, in partnership with INTERPOL, has played a key role in Operation Serengeti 2.0, a continent-wide law enforcement initiative aimed at tackling cybercrime across Africa.
RELATED: Cybercrime surges in Africa, accounts for over 30% of crimes in West and East Africa – INTERPOL report
Running from June to August 2025, the operation led to the arrest of 1,209 suspected cybercriminals, the seizure of USD 97.4 million, and the dismantling of 11,432 malicious infrastructures targeting nearly 88,000 victims.
The joint effort united investigators from 18 African countries and the United Kingdom to combat high-impact cybercrimes such as ransomware, online scams, and business email compromise (BEC).
Kaspersky’s Role in Strengthening Cyber Defense
As a regular contributor to INTERPOL-led operations, Kaspersky provided threat intelligence data, indicators of compromise (IoCs), and regional threat insights to aid investigations. From January to May 2025, Kaspersky detected about 10,000 unique ransomware samples across Africa, underscoring the rising scale of threats.
Additionally, at INTERPOL’s request, Kaspersky’s Threat Research expertise center uncovered a massive cryptocurrency investment fraud that deceived 65,000 victims in Zambia, causing estimated losses of USD 300 million. The probe resulted in 15 arrests, with further investigations underway to track down international collaborators.
Building on Past Successes
This second edition of Operation Serengeti follows the 2024 crackdown that led to 1,000 arrests and prevented damages of USD 193 million from ransomware, extortion, and scams.
Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL, emphasized:
“Each INTERPOL-coordinated operation builds on the last, deepening cooperation, increasing information sharing and developing investigative skills across member countries. With more contributions and shared expertise, the results keep growing in scale and impact.”
The Cybersecurity Landscape in Africa
Africa’s rapid digitalisation brings both opportunities and vulnerabilities. According to INTERPOL’s Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2025, cybercrime in the region continues to rise due to AI-driven threats and turnkey attack infrastructures, with nearly 90% of agencies citing limited cross-border cooperation as a major barrier.
Yuliya Shlychkova, Vice-President of Government Affairs & Public Policy at Kaspersky, noted:
“Private-public partnerships are critical to building a healthy cyberspace. Initiatives like Operation Serengeti show how effective dialogue and data sharing between tech providers and law enforcement can curb cybercrime and protect digital growth in Africa.”
Ongoing Commitment to Cybersecurity
Beyond Serengeti, Kaspersky has actively contributed to several other INTERPOL missions in Africa, including Africa Cyber Surge I & II and the Red Card operation, which focused on dismantling cybercriminal infrastructure and safeguarding victims across the continent.
