INTERPOL has announced the arrest of two suspects in Nigeria as part of separate investigations into cybercrime, including an international investment fraud scheme linked to over $2.4 million in suspected illicit proceeds.
The arrests were revealed in a statement on Operation Serengeti III, a major cybercrime enforcement initiative.
According to a statement published on INTERPOL’s website and reviewed on Thursday, the operation was coordinated between June 29 and August 31, 2026, and involved law enforcement agencies from 21 countries. Nigerian authorities apprehended one suspect connected to a large-scale phishing and business email compromise scheme that harvested software credentials and collected nearly 2.1 million email addresses. Investigators also seized a luxury vehicle believed to have been bought with criminal proceeds.
In a separate case, another suspect was arrested in Nigeria over an international investment fraud scheme promoted through messaging apps. Financial investigations traced over $2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which was allegedly laundered using cryptocurrency transactions. The names of the suspects were not disclosed in the statement.
Operation Serengeti III targeted various forms of cyber-enabled crime, including fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams, and digital extortion. The operation resulted in 1,462 arrests, the disruption of 10,909 malicious networks, and the recovery of more than $105 million in illicit funds. Authorities identified 65,929 victims and linked criminal activities to losses exceeding $385 million.
Private-sector partners supported the operation by providing intelligence, technical analysis, and operational expertise, aiding investigators in identifying targets and mapping criminal networks. INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, emphasized the importance of international cooperation in combating borderless cybercrime, stating, “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.”
The statement noted that several investigations remain ongoing, with authorities continuing to identify additional suspects, trace illicit proceeds, and analyze seized digital evidence. Nigeria was among the 21 participating countries, alongside Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, the United States, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
