INTERPOL and AFRIPOL have coordinated
an operation across 25 African countries that enabled investigators to arrest
14 suspected cybercriminals and identify 20,674 suspicious cyber networks,
highlighting the surge in digital insecurity and cyber threats in the region.
The networks
identified were linked to financial losses of more than USD 40 million.
The
four-month Africa Cyber Surge II operation was launched in April 2023 and focused
on identifying cybercriminals and compromised infrastructure. It was
coordinated by INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate, under the auspices of the
INTERPOL Africa Cybercrime Operations desk and INTERPOL’s Support Programme for
the African Union in relation to AFRIPOL (ISPA).
The operation
sought to facilitate communication, provide analysis and share intelligence
between countries, streamlining cooperation between African law enforcement
agencies to prevent, mitigate, investigate, and disrupt cyber extortion,
phishing, business email compromise and online scams.
By leveraging
actionable private sector intelligence, it underlined how cybersecurity is most
effective when international law enforcement, national authorities, and private
sector partners cooperate to share best practices and pro-actively combat
cybercrime.
INTERPOL,
AFRIPOL and private sector partners Group-IB and Uppsala Security provided
on-the-ground operational support, sharing actionable intelligence leveraged
throughout the operation.
