African Authorities Arrest 260 Suspects in Major Cybercrime Crackdown

A coordinated international operation against cyber-enabled crime has resulted in the arrest of 260 suspects and the seizure of 1,235 electronic devices across 14 African countries, authorities announced from Lyon, France.

Operation Contender 3.0, conducted between July 28 and August 11, 2025, specifically targeted transnational criminal networks that exploit digital platforms, particularly social media, to defraud victims financially. The two-week operation focused primarily on romance scams—where perpetrators build online relationships to extract money—and sextortion schemes that involve blackmailing victims with explicit images or videos.

Law enforcement identified 1,463 victims linked to these scams, with estimated financial losses approaching USD 2.8 million. During the operation, police traced IP addresses, digital infrastructures, domains, and social media profiles connected to scam syndicates. The subsequent raids led to the dismantling of 81 cybercrime infrastructures throughout Africa and the seizure of numerous USB drives, SIM cards, and forged documents.

“Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams,” said Cyril Gout, Acting Executive Director of Police Services at INTERPOL. “The growth of online platforms has opened new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit victims, causing both financial loss and psychological harm. By working closely with our member countries and private sector partners, we remain committed to disrupting and dismantling the groups that prey on vulnerable individuals online.”

The operation’s success was bolstered by collaboration with private sector partners Group-IB and Trend Micro, which enhanced data sharing and operational capabilities. INTERPOL cyber activity reports facilitated swift enforcement actions by participating countries, demonstrating the vital importance of international cooperation in fighting cybercrime.

In Ghana, which saw one of the largest enforcement actions, authorities arrested 68 individuals and seized 835 devices. Investigators identified 108 victims who suffered combined losses of USD 450,000, with authorities managing to recover USD 70,000. The suspects had created elaborate fake profiles using forged identities and stolen images to deceive victims. Their schemes often involved extracting payments for fictitious courier and customs shipment fees. In sextortion cases, the criminals secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit chats to use as blackmail material.

Senegalese police arrested 22 suspects involved in a network that impersonated celebrities and employed emotional manipulation on social media and dating platforms. The group defrauded 120 victims of approximately USD 34,000. During the operation, authorities seized 65 devices along with forged identification documents and money transfer records.

In Côte d’Ivoire, law enforcement dismantled a cybercrime ring that created fake online profiles to manipulate vulnerable individuals into sharing intimate images. The criminals then blackmailed victims, demanding payments to prevent public exposure. This operation resulted in 24 arrests, the seizure of 29 devices, and the identification of 809 victims.

Angolan authorities arrested eight individuals who had created fraudulent documents to establish fake identities, facilitating financial transactions while concealing their true identities. The operation identified 28 domestic and international victims who were primarily targeted through social media platforms.

The operation was funded by the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office under the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime project. It comes amid growing concern about cybercrime across Africa. In June, INTERPOL released the 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Assessment Report, which revealed that two-thirds of surveyed African member countries reported cyber-related offenses constituting a medium-to-high proportion of all crimes.

The 14 participating countries in Operation Contender 3.0 included Angola, Benin, Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Uganda, and Zambia.