A major international cybercrime operation has delivered a strong blow to online criminals operating across Africa, resulting in hundreds of arrests and major digital disruptions.
Interpol announced that Operation Sentinel, conducted between October 27 and November 27 this year, involved law enforcement agencies from 19 African countries. The coordinated action led to the arrest of 574 suspects, the decryption of 6 ransomware variants, the removal of 6,000 malicious links, and the recovery of nearly $3 million. Authorities also stopped a business email compromise scam that nearly caused a $7.9 million loss to a major petroleum company.
Ransomware expert Jon DiMaggio described the effort as impactful. “This may not be the same headline as taking down LockBit, but I think it is significant,” he said. He added that focusing on regions where arrests are possible is a smart enforcement strategy.
Interpol did not disclose the names of the ransomware strains that were decrypted. DiMaggio believes they were modified versions of strains commonly found on dark web platforms.
The operation saw notable country level actions. In Ghana, authorities helped an unnamed financial institution recover nearly 30TB of data after 100TB was encrypted. Investigators also dismantled a cyber fraud network operating across Ghana and Nigeria that cheated over 200 victims of more than $400,000. The scam used fake fast food brand websites and mobile apps. Police arrested 10 suspects, seized over 100 digital devices, and shut down 30 fraudulent servers.
In Benin, officials took down 43 malicious domains and closed 4,318 social media accounts linked to scams, leading to 106 arrests. In Cameroon, a phishing scam tied to an online vehicle sales platform was traced to a compromised server, prompting an emergency bank freeze within hours.
“This is a very good thing,” DiMaggio said, noting that stopping ransomware operations early can prevent them from growing into global threats. He also highlighted that business email scams generate more money globally than ransomware attacks.
Operation Sentinel follows another major action earlier this year. In August, Interpol reported that Operation Serengeti led to 1,209 arrests, dismantled over 11,400 malicious systems, and recovered more than $97 million.
“The scale and sophistication of cyberattacks across Africa are accelerating,” said Interpol cybercrime director Neal Jetton. “The outcomes from Operation Sentinel reflect the commitment of African law enforcement agencies working closely with international partners.”
The operation was supported by multiple cybersecurity firms that assisted with technical expertise and threat tracking.
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