Interpol arrested at least 1,462 people across Africa in an operation which led to the recovery of $105 million in illicit funds, it said Thursday.

"Cybercrime networks operate without regard for borders, exploiting technology to target victims on an unprecedented scale," Interpol's Director of Cybercrime Neal Jetton said in a statement.

The criminal activities linked to these individual led to more than $385 million in losses, it said.

The operation, conducted between June 29 and August 31 under the name Serengeti III, involved law enforcement agencies from 21 countries and resulted in the disruption of 10,909 malicious networks.

Nearly 66,000 victims

Investigators identified nearly 66,000 victims of cybercriminal activities involving online investment scams, ransomware, digital extortion and fraudulent business communications.

In Uganda, police dismantled two international fraud operations and arrested 365 foreign nationals accused of targeting victims in Asia through elaborate investment and pension scams.

The suspects operated call centers where workers used prepared scripts, counterfeit investment websites and fraudulent trading platforms to convince victims, including pensioners, to invest in nonexistent financial opportunities.

In Angola, authorities shut down two illegal cryptocurrency mining facilities, arrested nine suspects and confiscated more than 2,000 mining devices.

Police also seized six unauthorised electrical installations, with the confiscated power infrastructure alone valued at more than $1 million.

Large-scale phishing scheme

In Nigeria, investigators arrested a suspect accused of operating a large-scale phishing scheme that collected software login credentials and approximately 2.1 million email addresses.

A separate Nigerian investigation uncovered an international investment fraud operation promoted through messaging applications, with investigators tracing more than $2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, much of it moved through cryptocurrency transactions.

Authorities also disrupted fraudulent mobile lending operations in Tanzania, an online vehicle import scam in Gabon and a cybercrime network in the Republic of Congo, where 30 suspects were arrested.

Kenya was among the participating countries, alongside Ghana, South Africa, Rwanda, Cameroon, Zimbabwe and the United States.

Intelligence sharing

Interpol said intelligence sharing and cooperation with technology companies helped investigators identify suspicious online infrastructure and trace criminal activity across borders.

The agency warned that artificial intelligence is increasingly being exploited by cybercriminals, allowing fraudsters to develop more sophisticated schemes and reach larger numbers of victims.

"Operation Serengeti III reinforces a clear message: while cybercrime is increasingly borderless, international cooperation remains one of the most effective tools for disrupting criminal networks, recovering criminal assets and protecting communities from digital harm," Jetton said.

Interpol said several investigations remain underway as authorities pursue additional suspects and examine digital evidence recovered during the operation.