The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has announced the arrest of two suspects in separate cybercrime investigations in Nigeria, including a suspect linked to a phishing and business email compromise operation that collected about 2.1 million email addresses.
INTERPOL disclosed this on Thursday in a statement on its website detailing the outcome of Operation Serengeti III, a cybercrime crackdown conducted across 21 countries between June 29 and August 31, 2026.
The organisation said, “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 USD 2.4 million in suspected criminal proceeds, much of which was laundered through cryptocurrency transactions. ”
The organisation did not disclose the identities of the suspects or specify when they would be charged in court.
The Nigerian investigations formed part of Operation Serengeti III, which resulted in 1,462 arrests across the participating countries, the disruption of 10,909 malicious networks and the recovery of more than $105m in illicit funds.
INTERPOL said investigators identified 65,929 victims targeted by cybercriminal networks, while financial investigations linked the criminal activities uncovered during the operation to losses exceeding $385m.
The operation targeted cyber-enabled fraud, ransomware, business email compromise, online scams and digital extortion.
INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said the operation demonstrated the importance of international cooperation in tackling cybercrime.
“Cybercrime networks operate without regard for borders, exploiting technology to target victims on an unprecedented scale.
“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,” Jetton said.
