Interpol arrests 300 in African cybercrime operation

Interpol has announced a successful operation that resulted in the arrest of more than 300 people linked to cybercrime in Africa. The operation, called Red Card, ran from November 2024 to February 2025 and included law enforcement from seven countries: Benin, Côte d'Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia. The suspects were involved in various illegal activities, such as wire fraud, phishing, and money laundering. They targeted victims with scams that led to the theft of approximately $305,000 in Rwanda alone. Interpol has stated that about 5,000 people were affected by these schemes. During the operation, authorities seized nearly 2,000 electronic devices and recovered around $100,000 in stolen funds. In addition to the arrests, police seized 26 vehicles, 16 houses, and 39 plots of land. The total value of the seized assets has not been fully determined. Interpol also highlighted that some individuals working in scam centers might have been victims of human trafficking, coerced into criminal activity. The operation was supported by intelligence from cybersecurity firms, including Group-IB, Trend Micro, and Kaspersky. Interpol’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate, Neal Jetton, praised the operation's success. He emphasized the importance of international cooperation in fighting cybercrime and stressed that these criminal activities will not go unpunished.