Ethical Hacking News
African countries have joined forces with INTERPOL to combat the escalating threat of cybercrime, resulting in a record-breaking 574 arrests and over $3 million recovered. Learn more about Operation Sentinel's impact on ransomware attacks and cybercrime efforts across Africa.
In October-November 2025, INTERPOL coordinated "Operation Sentinel" in Africa, resulting in the arrest of 574 suspects and recovery of $3 million. The operation focused on combating BEC, digital extortion, and ransomware, which are increasingly prevalent in Africa. 17 countries were involved, including Ghana, Nigeria, South Africa, and Ukraine. Ghanaian authorities dismantled a cyber fraud network that defrauded over 200 victims of $400,000. The operation also led to the arrest of a Ukrainian national involved in nefilim ransomware operations. Estimated financial losses from cyber attacks were recovered at over $21 million.
In a concerted effort to combat the growing threat of cybercrime in Africa, INTERPOL has successfully coordinated a massive operation dubbed "Operation Sentinel". This multi-nation law enforcement initiative, which took place between October 27 and November 27, 2025, resulted in the arrest of an unprecedented 574 suspects across 19 countries. Furthermore, authorities recovered $3 million and seized over 100 digital devices that were allegedly used to facilitate ransomware attacks.
The operation primarily focused on business email compromise (BEC), digital extortion, and ransomware, which have become increasingly prevalent in Africa. The initiative was a significant step forward for the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), an effort aimed at enhancing the capabilities of national law enforcement agencies in the region to better disrupt cybercriminal activity.
Among the countries involved were Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Congo, Djibouti, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Gabon, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Senegal, South Africa, South Sudan, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Notably, Ghanaian authorities played a key role in dismantling a cyber fraud network that had defrauded over 200 victims of approximately $400,000 by impersonating popular fast-food brands through well-designed websites and mobile apps.
In addition to the African operations, INTERPOL's efforts also led to the arrest of a Ukrainian national who pleaded guilty to using nefilim ransomware in his capacity as an affiliate. Artem Aleksandrovych Stryzhak, a 35-year-old from Ukraine, was arrested in Spain in June 2024 and extradited to the U.S. earlier this April after it was revealed that he had been involved in Nefilim's operations.
The INTERPOL operation culminated in the recovery of over $21 million in estimated financial losses stemming from the various cyber attacks, which is a testament to the organization's commitment to tackling these types of threats. The success of Operation Sentinel serves as an important reminder of the need for cooperation among law enforcement agencies worldwide in order to effectively address the growing threat of cybercrime.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/African-Cybercrime-Crackdown-INTERPOLs-Operation-Sentinel-Brings-Justice-to-Ransomware-Attackers-ehn.shtml
https://thehackernews.com/2025/12/interpol-arrests-574-in-africa.html
Published: Wed Dec 24 21:43:20 2025 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
