27 Kenyans Among 651 Arrested as Interpol Recovers Ksh554 Million

Twenty-seven Kenyans are among 651 suspects arrested in a sweeping international cybercrime crackdown that also led to the recovery of more than Ksh554 million.

In a statement on Wednesday, February 18, Interpol said the coordinated operation brought together law enforcement agencies from across Africa to dismantle transnational online fraud networks that have been defrauding victims through fake investments, mobile loan apps and digital financial scams.

"Law enforcement agencies from 16 African countries have made 651 arrests and recovered more than USD 4.3 million (Ksh554.7 million) in an international cybercrime operation against online scams," the organization said.

The multi-agency effort was conducted over nearly two months and focused on disrupting both the perpetrators and the technological infrastructure powering the schemes.

Officials said investigators targeted organized criminal networks exploiting digital platforms to reach victims across borders.

"Operation Red Card 2.0 (8 December 2025 to 30 January 2026) targeted the infrastructure and actors behind high-yield investment scams, mobile money fraud and fraudulent mobile loan applications," the organization added.

In Kenya, detectives arrested 27 suspects linked to fraudulent investment schemes that relied heavily on messaging apps, social media platforms and fabricated testimonials. 

The schemes falsely claimed to offer investment opportunities in reputable global corporations, convincing victims to deposit small initial amounts, sometimes as low as $50, with promises of unusually high returns.

According to Interpol, victims were provided with manipulated dashboards and fake account statements showing impressive profits. 

However, when they attempted to withdraw their funds, requests were blocked or ignored, effectively trapping their money within the fraudulent platforms.

The operation extended beyond Kenya, exposing complex criminal enterprises operating in multiple jurisdictions.

In Nigeria, police dismantled a high-yield investment fraud ring that recruited young individuals to carry out cyber-enabled crimes, including phishing, identity theft, social engineering and fake digital asset investment schemes.

Authorities shut down more than 1,000 fraudulent social media accounts and uncovered a residential property built by the alleged ringleader to serve as the central hub for the criminal activities.

In a separate breakthrough in the same country, six members of a sophisticated cybercrime syndicate were arrested for infiltrating the internal systems of a major telecommunications provider using compromised staff login credentials. 

The group allegedly siphoned significant volumes of airtime and data for illegal resale before investigators disrupted the scheme.

Meanwhile, in Côte d’Ivoire, law enforcement officers arrested 58 suspects in a targeted operation against mobile loan fraud networks. 

Authorities seized 240 mobile phones, 25 laptops and more than 300 SIM cards during the crackdown.

The scams primarily targeted vulnerable populations through deceptive mobile loan applications that promised quick, unsecured credit but instead imposed hidden fees, abusive debt-collection tactics and unlawfully harvested sensitive personal and financial information.

Authorities emphasized that the financial and human toll of the schemes was substantial, affecting victims both within Africa and beyond.

"During the eight-week operation, investigations exposed scams linked to over USD 45 million in financial losses and identified 1,247 victims, predominantly from the African continent but also from other regions of the world. Authorities also seized 2,341 devices and took down 1,442 malicious IPs, domains and servers, as well as other related infrastructure," the organization noted.

Interpol coordinated intelligence sharing and operational support among participating countries, helping authorities trace digital footprints and dismantle cross-border networks.

"Interpol supported the operation through critical intelligence sharing, real-time information exchange and capacity-building activities, including training on digital forensic tools," the organization further said.

This comes months after Interpol announced the arrest of 83 individuals across six African countries following a crackdown on money laundering and terrorism financing.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, Interpol described the operation, which took place between July and September 2025, as the first of its kind in the fight against terrorism-related financial crimes.

The operation, codenamed Operation Catalyst, brought together security agencies from multiple African nations in partnership with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL.

Interpol said the crackdown led to the arrest of 83 people for a range of crimes tied to illicit financial activities.

Among the key breakthroughs was a major bust in Angola where 25 people were arrested over potential terrorist financing and money laundering.

Kenya was also among the countries where critical arrests were made and funds used for terrorism recruitment and radicalization were traced.

"In Kenya, a suspected money laundering operation using a virtual asset service provider was identified as having potential links to terrorism financing. The scheme, worth approximately USD 430,000, involved 12 people, two of whom have so far been arrested.

"In a separate case in Kenya, two individuals were arrested for the online recruitment of young people from East and North Africa into terrorist groups. The funds used for the recruitment and radicalization were traced through a cryptocurrency trading platform, back to individuals in Tanzania," the statement revealed.