Global Strike Against Hackers: Interpol Takedown of Criminal Network Across 19 Countries
A large-scale investigation united both intelligence services and private IT companies.
A large-scale investigation united both intelligence services and private IT companies.
A coordinated operation to combat cybercrime in Africa has concluded with hundreds of arrests and the seizure of millions of dollars. The extensive international investigation succeeded not only in detaining hundreds of suspects but also in preventing significant financial damage linked to online fraud.
Operation Sentinel, conducted from October 27 to November 27 under Interpol's coordination, spanned 19 countries and targeted three types of digital crimes: business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and ransomware attacks.
According to the 2025 Africa Cyberthreat Report, these schemes are among the fastest-growing in the region. During the operation, over six thousand malicious links were blocked, and six variants of ransomware were decrypted. The estimated financial losses from the investigated cases exceed $21 million.
In Senegal, local authorities prevented a theft of nearly $8 million when an oil company detected an attempt to infiltrate its internal email system. The fraudsters attempted to initiate a large transfer on behalf of management, but an emergency freeze of the accounts prevented them from completing the operation.
In Ghana, a financial institution suffered a ransomware attack that encrypted approximately 100 terabytes of data and stole over $100,000. After analyzing the malware, a decryption tool was created, enabling the recovery of a significant portion of the information.
Also in Ghana, a network of internet fraudsters operating from Ghana and Nigeria was dismantled. The criminals created fake websites of popular restaurant chains, accepted payments for non-existent orders, and defrauded over 200 people. As a result, ten individuals were arrested, more than a hundred digital devices were seized, and 30 servers were taken offline.
In Benin, 43 malicious domains and over four thousand social media accounts linked to extortion and scams were blocked, leading to 106 arrests. In Cameroon, police responded swiftly to complaints from victims of a phishing scheme masquerading as a car sales platform and were able to freeze transfers to suspicious accounts in time.
Private companies participated in the operation by providing technical support and tools for tracking network activity, identifying IP addresses used, and blocking illegal transactions. Support was provided by Team Cymru, Shadowserver Foundation, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security. The work was carried out under the auspices of the African Joint Operation Against Cybercrime, with financial support from the United Kingdom, and with the participation of the Council of Europe and the European Union.
According to Interpol's assessment, the level of digital crime in most African countries has already reached a medium or high level. The scale of attacks is growing, especially in critical sectors such as energy and finance. Despite this, the coordinated actions of local law enforcement and international partners have demonstrated that timely response can significantly reduce risks and preserve access to vital information.
