544/68 Tuesday, December 24, 2025
The International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol) has announced the successful outcome of a large-scale international operation known as Operation Sentinel, conducted between 27 October and 27 November in cooperation with law enforcement agencies from 19 countries. The operation resulted in the arrest of 574 suspects, the seizure and freezing of assets linked to cybercrime valued at approximately USD 3 million, the decryption of six ransomware families, and the takedown of more than 6,000 malicious links. Ongoing investigations connected to the operation are associated with estimated financial losses exceeding USD 21 million, stemming from Business Email Compromise (BEC) schemes, extortion, and ransomware attacks.
Interpol reported notable successes across multiple countries. In Senegal, authorities intercepted a USD 7.9 million BEC-related fund transfer targeting an energy company before the money was lost. In Ghana, law enforcement analyzed malware used in a ransomware incident that had encrypted more than 100 TB of data, developed a decryption tool to recover 30 TB, and arrested individuals involved in the attack. A joint Ghana–Nigeria operation dismantled a cross-border fraud network impersonating a well-known fast-food brand, causing losses of more than USD 400,000. Additional actions included the arrest of over 100 suspects in Benin, and an emergency response in Cameroon, where bank accounts linked to an online vehicle sales scam were frozen within hours.
Interpol’s Director of Cybercrime stated that cyber threats in Africa are becoming increasingly complex and severe, particularly in the financial and energy sectors. The results of Operation Sentinel demonstrate the strong commitment of regional law enforcement agencies working closely with international partners. The operation was also supported by private-sector organizations, including Team Cymru, Shadowserver Foundation, Trend Micro, TRM Labs, and Uppsala Security, which assisted in tracking cybercriminal infrastructure and illicit financial flows. Interpol emphasized that such public–private and international cooperation will remain a critical mechanism in combating transnational cybercrime in the future.
