Kaspersky has partnered with INTERPOL in a major operation, dubbed Serengeti 2.0, that led to the arrest of 1,209 suspected cybercriminals and the recovery of $97.4 million. The operation, which ran from June to August 2025, targeted high-impact cybercrimes across the African continent.
The joint effort involved investigators from 18 African countries and the United Kingdom. It successfully dismantled 11,432 malicious infrastructures that had targeted nearly 88,000 victims. Kaspersky contributed to the operation by providing threat intelligence data and indicators of compromise (IoCs) on various threats, including ransomware, online scams and business email compromise (BEC).
In a specific case requested by INTERPOL, Kaspersky’s Threat Research team assisted in investigating a cryptocurrency investment scheme. This led to the arrest of 15 individuals by Zambian authorities, who discovered that the fraudulent campaign had defrauded 65,000 victims out of an estimated $300 million. Investigations are still ongoing to track down overseas collaborators.
This operation highlights the growing importance of public-private partnerships in combating cybercrime.
According to a statement from Valdecy Urquiza, Secretary General of INTERPOL, each coordinated operation strengthens cooperation and information sharing across member countries.
Kaspersky’s Vice-President of Government Affairs & Public Policy, Yuliya Shlychkova, noted that while Africa’s rapid digitalization offers new opportunities, it also brings emerging risks, making effective collaboration essential for building a safe cyberspace.
This is the second edition of Operation Serengeti. The first, held in late 2024, resulted in the arrest of over 1,000 suspected cybercriminals and recovered about $193 million in damages. Kaspersky has also participated in other INTERPOL-led operations, including Africa Cyber Surge, Africa Cyber Surge II, and Red Card.