As part of Operation AFRICA CYBER SURGE (ACS 3.0) called “OPERATION SERENGETI”, carried out jointly by AFRIPOL and INTERPOL, the official launch of which was announced on September 2, 2024 in GHANA, in which 19 member states participated, a debriefing meeting was organized from November 19 to 21, 2024, to conclude the results of this operation, namely:
- Number of people arrested: 1006.
- Financial estimate of recovered losses: $192 million.
- Number of infrastructures affected: 134,089.
- Number of victims: 35,224.
- Member States concerned: Algeria, Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, GABON, Ghana, Kenya, Mauritius, Mozambique, Nigeria, DRC, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Tunisia, South Africa, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
Chaired by Mr Tandabantu Godwin MATANGA Commissioner General of Police Head of Zimbabwe Republic Police, the opening ceremony of the debriefing meeting was an opportunity to encourage police officers from African countries to collaborate and effectively use the platforms of international criminal police organizations (Interpol) and regional police chief cooperation organizations in Southern Africa to curb criminal activities.
For AFRIPOL, The AFRICA Cyber Surge Operation signifies a critical milestone in Africa’s battle against cybercrime, underscoring the continent’s growing commitment to safeguarding its digital infrastructure and ensuring the online security of its citizens. This initiative not only brought together numerous African countries for a third unified operation but also fostered trust and stronger partnerships within the continent and beyond.
First launched in July 2022 in Kigali, the operation’s initial phases achieved substantial results in capacity building, international cooperation, and protection of critical infrastructures. More importantly, its operational successes included the arrest and prosecution of several high-profile cybercriminals, the dismantling of criminal networks across multiple African nations, and widespread awareness campaigns targeting African citizens.
“Through its activities, AFRIPOL has made a transformative impact on the support provided to law enforcement agencies within African Union Member States,” stated Mr Omar DAAS, AFRIPOL’s representative in the debriefing meeting. “We’ve achieved remarkable results, leading to the arrest of over 1,000 criminals and gaining a comprehensive view of cybercrime patterns in Africa. AFRIPOL is now focusing on new threats, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the development of malware and advanced attack methods.”
