Interpol Arrests Over 1,200 Cybercriminals in Global Crackdown, $97.4 Million Confiscated
Interpol’s Operation Serengeti 2.0, involving 18 African nations and the U.K., dismantled major crypto scams and illegal mining operations, impacting tens of thousands of victims and seizing illicit assets.
The statement's core claims are strongly supported by the evidence. Multiple sources, including official INTERPOL press releases (Sources 1 and 8), confirm that an operation led to 1,209 arrests ('over 1,200') and the recovery of $97.4 million. The operation was focused on Africa but coordinated by the global agency INTERPOL with international partners, making the statement largely accurate despite the crackdown's regional focus.
Interpol’s Operation Serengeti 2.0, active since June across 18 African countries and the U.K., resulted in the arrest of 1,209 suspects in cryptocurrency-related crimes, impacting nearly 88,000 victims. Authorities recovered $97.4 million, dismantled a $300 million crypto investment scam in Zambia, and in Angola shut down 25 illegal crypto mining centers, arresting 60 Chinese nationals and seizing $37 million in mining and IT equipment.
- Crypto Mining Centers: Facilities used for the process of validating blockchain transactions by solving complex mathematical problems, often involving significant energy consumption.
- Blockchain Transactions: Digital transactions validated and recorded on a blockchain, a decentralized ledger technology underlying cryptocurrencies.