The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has announced the arrest of two suspects in Nigeria in separate cybercrime investigations, including an international investment fraud scheme linked to more than $2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds.
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The arrests formed part of Operation Serengeti III, a coordinated cybercrime enforcement operation conducted between June 29 and August 31, 2026, involving law enforcement agencies from 21 countries.
According to a statement published on INTERPOL’s website, Nigerian authorities arrested one suspect linked to a large-scale phishing and business email compromise operation that allegedly harvested software credentials and amassed approximately 2.1 million email addresses.
Investigators also recovered a luxury vehicle suspected to have been purchased with proceeds of crime.
In a separate investigation, Nigerian authorities arrested another suspect over an international investment fraud scheme promoted through messaging applications.
Financial investigations linked the scheme to the movement of more than $2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which was allegedly laundered through cryptocurrency transactions.
INTERPOL did not disclose the identities of the two suspects.
The statement read: “In Nigeria, authorities arrested a suspect behind a large-scale phishing and business email compromise operation that harvested software credentials and amassed approximately 2.1 million email addresses. Investigators also recovered a luxury vehicle suspected to have been purchased with criminal proceeds.
“A separate Nigerian investigation targeted an international investment fraud scheme promoted via messaging apps, leading to the arrest of a suspect. Financial investigations revealed the movement of more than $2.4m in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which was laundered through cryptocurrency transactions.”
INTERPOL said Operation Serengeti III targeted cyber-enabled fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams and digital extortion.
Across the 21 participating countries, authorities arrested 1,462 suspects, disrupted 10,909 malicious networks and recovered more than $105 million in illicit funds.
The operation also identified 65,929 victims targeted by cybercriminal networks, while financial investigations linked the criminal activities to losses exceeding $385 million.
According to INTERPOL, private-sector partners supported the operation by providing intelligence, technical analysis and operational expertise to help investigators identify suspects, map criminal networks and advance investigations.
INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in confronting cybercriminal networks operating across 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 several investigations arising from the operation remained active, with authorities continuing efforts to identify additional suspects, trace suspected illicit proceeds and analyse seized digital evidence.
Nigeria participated in the operation alongside Angola, Benin, Cameroon, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eswatini, Gabon, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Mozambique, Rwanda, Senegal, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, the United States, Zambia and Zimbabwe.
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