A major crackdown on cybercrime across Africa has led to the arrest of 306 individuals and the seizure of over 1,800 devices, following a coordinated operation led by INTERPOL between November 2024 and February 2025. Dubbed Operation Red Card, the effort brought together law enforcement from seven African countries—Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia—under the umbrella of the African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC).
The joint campaign targeted criminal networks exploiting mobile banking, investment platforms, and messaging apps, and is the latest phase of the multi-year AFJOC project aimed at strengthening Africa’s capacity to combat growing digital threats.
INTERPOL Targets Growing Cybercrime Through AFJOC Initiative
INTERPOL’s AFJOC program was launched to address the rising tide of cyber threats in Africa, where digital transformation has opened new avenues for innovation—and exploitation. The current second phase of the program, AFJOC II (2024–2025), is backed by a GBP 2.68 million fund from the United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and builds on the momentum from the 2021–2023 phase.
AFJOC II seeks to improve how national law enforcement agencies across the continent prevent, detect, investigate, and disrupt cybercrime. This involves developing both technological infrastructure and institutional cooperation, with a focus on cross-border coordination and intelligence sharing.
The project is managed by INTERPOL’s African Cybercrime Operations Desk, working alongside regional stakeholders like the African Union and AFRIPOL.
Scope of the Cybercrime Challenge in Africa
According to the latest African Cyberthreat Assessment Report (2024), the continent faces a surge in ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and phishing scams. These crimes often target financial systems, government networks, and vulnerable individuals.
Threat actors are also refining their tactics through social engineering and abuse of social media platforms. Many African countries have made legislative progress and invested in law enforcement capacity, but gaps remain in fully responding to the scale and complexity of cyber threats.
AFJOC’s Strategic Approach
To respond effectively, AFJOC focuses on five key pillars:
- Intelligence Sharing: Cyber Activity Reports provide regular insights on threats targeting specific regions or countries.
- Coordination Platforms: Tools like the Cybercrime Collaborative Platform – Africa (CCP-Africa) and the Cyber Fusion Platform enable secure communication and data exchange.
- Operational Frameworks: These encourage collaboration between governments, private companies, and international organizations.
- Direct Operations: Law enforcement agencies engage in coordinated actions to identify, investigate, and dismantle cybercrime networks.
- Public Awareness: Campaigns such as #JustOneClick and #YouMayBeNext educate users on safe digital practices.
Inside Operation Red Card
Conducted over four months, Operation Red Card was informed by intelligence exchanged through INTERPOL’s global cybercrime network. The intelligence was enriched by contributions from the private sector, including cybersecurity company Kaspersky, which shared findings on a malicious Android application and its supporting infrastructure targeting users across Africa.
In total, the operation resulted in:
- 306 arrests, including foreign nationals.
- 1,842 devices seized, such as phones, desktops, SIM cards, and servers.
- Over 5,000 victims identified across multiple scams.
Country Highlights
Nigeria: The Nigerian police arrested 130 suspects, including 113 foreign nationals, for allegedly operating scams involving online casinos and fake investment schemes. The suspects reportedly laundered proceeds through digital assets and operated in multiple languages to reach a broader victim base.
Zambia: Officers apprehended 14 individuals from a syndicate that hijacked mobile devices by tricking users into clicking malicious links. Once installed, the malware gave attackers control over messaging and banking apps and allowed them to propagate the scam through the victim’s contact list.
Rwanda: Authorities arrested 45 individuals linked to social engineering schemes, which defrauded victims of more than USD 305,000 in 2024. Scam tactics included impersonating telecom employees or injured family members to solicit sensitive information and mobile banking credentials.
South Africa: Local law enforcement uncovered a SIM box fraud operation, arresting 40 suspects and confiscating over 1,000 SIM cards and 53 computer systems. The scam rerouted international calls as local ones and facilitated large-scale SMS phishing campaigns.
Regional Coordination Delivers Results
INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate, Neal Jetton, said the operation demonstrated the effectiveness of cross-border cooperation:
“The success of 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.”
The coordinated nature of the operation highlights the increasing ability of African countries to respond to cybercrime when supported by international frameworks like AFJOC.
Building on Previous Efforts
Operation Red Card follows a series of similar campaigns under the AFJOC banner, including:
- Africa Cyber Surge Operations (2022, 2023) – Focused on phishing, BEC, and data theft.
- Operation Contender (2022–2023) – Tackled romance scams and email fraud across West Africa.
- Operation Falcon II (2022) – Targeted phishing and invoice fraud in Nigeria.
- Operation Delilah (2022) – Resulted in the arrest of a transnational cybercrime ringleader.
- Awareness Campaigns – Including #JustOneClick and #YouMayBeNext, aimed at educating the public on scams and extortion tactics.
These efforts have helped countries tighten their cybersecurity infrastructure and disrupt active criminal networks.
The Path Forward
Despite recent successes, Africa continues to face major challenges in the cyber realm. The evolving sophistication of cybercrime demands ongoing investment in public awareness, technical capabilities, legislative alignment, and private-sector collaboration.
The 2024 threat report recommends:
- Scaling law enforcement resources.
- Enhancing international and inter-agency coordination.
- Promoting digital literacy among the public.
- Creating unified cybersecurity strategies across borders.
AFJOC II is expected to continue these efforts through 2025.
Conclusion
The results of Operation Red Card underscore the growing threat of cybercrime in Africa and the importance of joint action to combat it. As criminals exploit the continent’s digital transformation, initiatives like AFJOC show that with the right mix of intelligence, coordination, and willpower, cybercriminal networks can be disrupted.
The momentum generated by this operation provides hope that African countries can not only defend against today’s threats but also lay the groundwork for a more secure digital future.
Related
Discover more from Techish Kenya
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
