Joint Operation by Interpol and Afripol Yields Arrests and Identifies Suspicious Networks
As a result of the joint operation conducted by Interpol and Afripol in 25 African countries over a span of four months, law enforcement authorities have arrested 14 suspects and identified over 20,000 suspicious networks. These networks are linked to losses exceeding $40 million.
The primary objective of this operation was to suppress cyber-ups, phishing, and corporate email fraud, which have recently been on the rise in the region. The arrested individuals and neutralized networks are estimated to have caused losses amounting to approximately $40 million.
In Cameroon, authorities arrested three cybercriminal suspects involved in the fraudulent sale of art pieces worth $850,000. Furthermore, two Darknet sites were blocked by the Cameroonian authorities.
The police relied on information provided by private partners such as Group-Ib and Trend Micro, who shared reports with law enforcement agencies. These reports contained the following details:
- 3,786 malicious control servers
- 14,134 IP addresses of victims involved in data theft
- 1,415 phishing links and domains
- 939 fraudulent IP addresses
- Over 400 other malicious URLs, IP addresses, and botnets
This joint operation marks a significant milestone in the fight against cybercrime in Africa. Its successful execution underscores the importance of international cooperation in tackling this issue.