A sweeping international cybercrime crackdown has led to the arrest of 306 individuals across seven African nations, following a months-long investigation targeting online casino scams, mobile fraud, and digital investment cons.
Dubbed Operation Red Card, the initiative ran from November 2024 to February 2025, and exposed the scale of coordinated cross-border cyber-enabled criminal networks.
Authorities in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia took part in the effort, coordinated through INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
More than 1,800 devices were seized during the raids, alongside vehicles, properties, and digital assets believed to be tied to the scams. In total, over 5,000 victims were identified.
Nigeria’s online casino and investment scams
One of the biggest crackdowns was in Nigeria in which police arrested 130 suspects, including 113 foreign nationals, accused of operating elaborate scams involving online casinos and fake investment platforms.
The suspects reportedly converted the illicit proceeds into cryptocurrency in an attempt to avoid detection but did not succeed in cloaking it effectively.
Nigerian authorities believe some individuals working in these scam centers were trafficked or coerced into participation, raising even deeper concerns about human rights abuses tied to cybercrime operations.
As for what was confiscated on arrest, this included 26 vehicles, 16 houses, 39 land plots, and 685 digital devices — a pretty large haul all things considered.
Rwandan fake lottery wins
In Rwanda, 45 individuals were arrested for running social engineering scams that defrauded victims of over $305,000 USD.
The tactics used included impersonating telecom workers, creating fake lottery wins, and even pretending to be injured relatives in need of emergency funds.
Over $100,000 was recovered and nearly 300 devices seized in the arrests which again, is a successful outcome.
In conjunction with the successes in Nigeria and Rwanda, South African police dismantled a SIM box fraud ring, arresting 40 people, and Zambian authorities arrested 14 suspects linked to a scam involving malicious links sent via messaging platforms.
A unified front against cybercrime
INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said the results “send a strong message” that cybercriminals will be held accountable.
“Operation Red Card demonstrates the power of international cooperation in combating cybercrime, which knows no borders and can have devastating effects on individuals and communities,” Jetton said.
The operation was backed by intelligence from global cybersecurity firms Group-IB, Kaspersky, and Trend Micro, who worked with INTERPOL to identify suspects, uncover tactics, and track stolen assets.
