January 21, 2026

USD 3 Million Recovered In Coordinated Operation Across Africa

In a landmark fusion of global and regional expertise, Interpol, local police forces and the recently formed European Crypto Fraud Intelligence Unit (ECFIU) spearheaded a sweeping month-long operation across Africa, delivering a decisive blow to the continent’s most sophisticated cybercriminal networks. Operation Sentinel culminated in the arrest of 574 suspects and the recovery of approximately USD 3 million in stolen assets.

The investigation was triggered by an initial trace received by the European Crypto Fraud Intelligence Unit (ECFIU) from one of the European Union's legal agencies investigating a client fraud case. Based on financial and transactional intelligence provided by the legal agency, what appeared initially as an individual case of fraud revealed itself to be part of a far larger organized network. This trace provided the critical first step in mapping and ultimately dismantling a sprawling fraud operation across Africa.

This unprecedented joint initiative, which ran from 27 October to 27 November, targeted the alarming rise in three key cyber threats outlined in INTERPOL’s 2025 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment: Business Email Compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and ransomware. The partnership combined INTERPOL’s global command-and-coordination reach with the ECFIU’s specialized, cutting-edge intelligence on cryptocurrency flows and complex financial fraud.
The results were staggering: law enforcement teams in 19 countries neutralized over 6,000 malicious links, decrypted six distinct ransomware strains, and investigated cases linked to estimated losses surpassing USD 21 million.

On the Ground: Speed, Ingenuity, and Cross-Border Synergy
The operation’s success was fueled by real-time intelligence sharing and rapid response:

• In Senegal, a tip-off allowed authorities to intercept a sophisticated BEC attack in progress. Fraudsters had impersonated executives at a major petroleum company, authorizing a fraudulent transfer of USD 7.9 million. A coordinated international freeze of destination accounts stopped the funds from vanishing.
• Ghanaian authorities, supported by data of ECFIU officers and lawyers, dismantled a sprawling cyber-fraud network operating across Ghana and Nigeria. The criminals used professionally designed websites and apps mimicking popular fast-food chains, collecting payments but never delivering orders, scamming over 200 victims of more than USD 400,000. In a parallel case, advanced malware analysis of a ransomware attack that encrypted 100 terabytes of data led to a custom decryption tool and multiple arrests.
• Benin targeted the infrastructure of fear, taking down 43 malicious domains and a staggering 4,318 social media accounts linked to extortion and scams, resulting in 106 arrests.
• In Cameroon, a swift reaction to victim reports led investigators to a phishing server within hours, triggering an emergency asset freeze and preventing further losses.

A New Blueprint for Global Cyber Policing
“The scale and sophistication of cyberattacks targeting Africa’s critical sectors are accelerating at a dangerous pace,” said Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime. “Operation Sentinel marks a new chapter. By seamlessly integrating the ECFIU’s specialized financial intelligence with our global police network, we created a force multiplier. This wasn’t just a takedown; it was a demonstration of how agile, public-private-international cooperation can actively protect economies and livelihoods.”
The operation was further amplified by critical support from INTERPOL’s private sector partners—including Team Cymru, Trend Micro, and TRM Labs—who provided essential technical support in tracing IP addresses, analyzing ransomware, and tracking illicit crypto transactions.

Lagos, Africa. January 21, 2026.