INTERPOL arrests two Nigerians over cybercrime, $2.4m investment fraud

Two suspects have been arrested in Nigeria over separate cybercrime investigations, including an international investment fraud scheme linked to more than $2.4m in suspected criminal proceeds, the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has said.

The arrests were made during Operation Serengeti III, a multinational crackdown on cybercrime that led to the arrest of 1,462 suspects across 21 countries between June 29 and August 31, 2026.

According to a statement published on INTERPOL’s website, one of the Nigerian investigations targeted a suspect allegedly involved in a large-scale phishing and business email compromise operation.

The operation reportedly harvested software credentials and amassed about 2.1 million email addresses. Investigators also recovered a luxury vehicle suspected to have been purchased with proceeds from criminal activities.

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In a separate case, Nigerian authorities arrested another suspect over an international investment fraud scheme promoted through messaging applications.

INTERPOL said financial investigations linked the scheme to the movement of more than $2.4m in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which was allegedly laundered through cryptocurrency transactions.

The agency did not disclose the identities of the two suspects.

Operation Serengeti III targeted cyber-enabled fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams and digital extortion across participating countries.

Beyond the arrests, authorities disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and recovered more than $105m in illicit funds.

Investigators also identified 65,929 victims targeted by cybercriminal networks, while financial inquiries linked criminal activities to losses exceeding $385m.

The operation received support from private-sector partners who provided intelligence, technical analysis and operational expertise to help law enforcement agencies identify suspects, trace criminal networks and advance investigations.

INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in tackling offences that cross national borders.

“Operation Serengeti III reinforces a clear message: while cybercrime is increasingly borderless, international cooperation remains one of the most effective tools for disrupting criminal networks, recovering criminal assets and protecting communities from digital harm,” he said.

INTERPOL said investigations arising from the operation remained ongoing, with authorities working to identify additional suspects, trace illicit proceeds and analyse seized digital evidence.

Nigeria participated in the operation alongside 20 other countries, including Ghana, Kenya, South Africa, Uganda, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.