KAMPALA, Uganda – Ugandan authorities have arrested 365 foreign nationals linked to two suspected transnational fraud networks as part of a major cybercrime operation coordinated by INTERPOL across Africa.
The arrests were made during Operation Serengeti III, an international crackdown conducted between June 29 and Aug. 31, 2026. The operation targeted cyber enabled fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams and digital extortion across 21 participating countries.
INTERPOL said the Ugandan investigations uncovered two fraud rings allegedly running sophisticated online investment and pension scams. The groups operated call centres using scripted communications, fake trading platforms and fraudulent websites.
According to INTERPOL, the schemes targeted victims across Asia, including pensioners who were persuaded to put money into investment opportunities that did not exist. The agency did not disclose the nationalities of the 365 foreign nationals arrested in Uganda.
The Ugandan arrests accounted for about a quarter of the 1,462 suspects arrested during the wider operation. Investigators also disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and identified 65,929 victims linked to cybercrime activities.
Financial investigations connected the criminal activity to losses of more than $385 million, while authorities recovered more than $105 million in illicit funds during the operation.
INTERPOL Director of Cybercrime Neal Jetton said the operation showed the importance of cooperation between countries as criminal groups increasingly use technology to operate across borders.
“Cybercrime networks operate without regard for borders,” Jetton said, adding that international cooperation remains an effective way to disrupt criminal networks, recover criminal assets and protect communities from digital crime.
The operation also uncovered different forms of cybercrime in other participating countries.
In Angola, authorities dismantled two illegal cryptocurrency mining centres, arrested nine suspects and seized more than 2,000 mining devices. Six illegal power transformation stations were also seized, with the electrical infrastructure valued at more than $1 million.
In Nigeria, investigators arrested a suspect linked to a large scale phishing and business email compromise operation that had collected software credentials and about 2.1 million email addresses.
A separate Nigerian investigation targeted an international investment fraud scheme promoted through messaging applications. Investigators traced more than $2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which was allegedly moved through cryptocurrency transactions.
Authorities in Tanzania also disrupted a fraudulent mobile lending operation, while investigators in Gabon targeted a vehicle import fraud network. In the Republic of Congo, 30 suspects were arrested in connection with a cybercrime operation.
The crackdown comes as cybercrime threats continue to evolve across Africa. INTERPOL’s 2026 African Cyber Threat Assessment Report has warned of the growing use of artificial intelligence by cybercriminals and increasing financial losses linked to digital crime.
The operation involved law enforcement agencies from Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
INTERPOL said several investigations remain active. Authorities are continuing to examine digital evidence, identify additional suspects and trace illicit funds connected to the criminal networks.
The arrests in Uganda therefore form part of a wider investigation that could lead to further arrests and financial recoveries as investigators continue their work.
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