More than 1000 suspects have reportedly been arrested by Interpol from 19 African countries, including Ghana, for engaging in cybercrime, popularly known as 'sakawa'.
The suspects were arrested in an operation dubbed Operation Serengeti, conducted by Interpol with the help of Afripol - the African Union's policing organisation - which targeted people suspected of cybercrimes, including those using ransomware, digital extortion, online scams, and phishing schemes on the African continent.
The operation, which was held from September 2, 2024, to October 31, 2024, targeted persons identified as prominent threats in the 2024 Africa Cyber Threat Assessment Report, including criminals behind ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and online scams, graphic.com.gh reported.
The 18 other African countries the suspects were arrested from are Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Tunisia, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.