Law-enforcement agencies across Africa have carried out a major cybercrime crackdown under an operation called Operation Sentinel. The month-long operation was coordinated by INTERPOL and ran from October 27 to November 27, 2025. It involved cybercrime units and police forces from 19 African countries. The goal was to disrupt large cybercrime networks operating across borders.
During the operation, authorities arrested 574 suspects linked to various cybercrime activities. Investigators also managed to recover around $3 million in stolen funds. Officials said these arrests targeted organized criminal groups rather than isolated individuals. The operation focused on protecting victims and cutting off criminal infrastructure.
Operation Sentinel targeted serious cybercrimes such as business email compromise, ransomware attacks, digital extortion, and large-scale online fraud. These crimes are commonly used to steal money or sensitive data from businesses and individuals. Authorities estimated that the overall losses linked to these crimes exceeded $21 million. Many victims were businesses and financial institutions.
As part of the technical response, investigators took down more than 6,000 malicious online links used in scams and attacks. Law-enforcement teams also successfully decrypted six ransomware variants. This helped victims regain access to locked data and reduced the impact of ongoing attacks. These actions prevented further financial damage.
In Senegal, authorities uncovered a business email compromise scheme targeting a petroleum company. Criminals attempted to trick the company into sending $7.9 million to fraudulent accounts. Investigators acted quickly and froze the accounts before the money could be withdrawn. The attempt was stopped before any loss occurred.
In Ghana, a ransomware attack targeted a major financial institution. About 100 terabytes of data were encrypted, and around $120,000 was stolen. Ghanaian cyber experts analyzed the malware and created a decryption solution. This allowed the recovery of nearly 30 terabytes of data, and several suspects were arrested.
Authorities in Ghana and Nigeria also shut down a cyber-fraud network that targeted more than 200 victims. The group stole over $400,000 using fake websites and mobile apps posing as popular fast-food brands. Police arrested 10 suspects, seized over 100 digital devices, and shut down 30 scam servers. The network was fully disrupted.
In Benin, investigators took down 43 malicious domains and more than 4,300 scam-linked social media accounts, leading to 106 arrests. In Cameroon, police stopped an online vehicle-sales scam by freezing bank accounts within hours of receiving reports. Officials said Operation Sentinel highlights the power of international cooperation in fighting cybercrime.
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