SENEGAL – Interpol arrested 1,006 suspects in Africa during a two-month operation clamping down on cybercrime that left tens of thousands of victims, including some who were trafficked, and produced millions in financial damages, the global police organisation said Tuesday. ‘’Operation Serengeti’’, a joint operation with Afripol, the African Union’s police agency, ran from September 2 to October 31 in 19 African countries and targeted criminals behind ransomware, business email compromise, digital extortion and online scams, the agency said in a statement.

“From multi-level marketing scams to credit card fraud on an industrial scale, the increasing volume and sophistication of cybercrime attacks is of serious concern,” said Valdecy Urquiza, the Secretary General of Interpol. Interpol pinpointed 35,000 victims, with cases linked to nearly $193 million in financial losses worldwide, stating that local police authorities and private sector partners, including Internet service providers, played a key role in the operation. “Through Serengeti, Afripol has significantly enhanced support for law enforcement in African Union Member States,” Jalel Chelba, Afripol’s Executive Director, said in the statement. (Jamaica Gleaner)

Photo: People walk on the Interpol logo at the international police agency headquarters in Lyon, France. (AP)