Regulation

Interpol and Afripol Operation Leads to Arrests and Uncovers Terrorism Financing

An operation conducted by Interpol and Afripol, named Operation Catalyst, resulted in 83 arrests across six African countries between July and September 2025. This initiative aimed to disrupt financial networks supporting terrorist activities, with participation from authorities in Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and South Sudan.

A total of approximately 260 million US dollars in cash and cryptocurrency, linked to terrorism-related crimes, was identified during the operation.

Findings on Cybercrime and Fraud

Operation Catalyst revealed connections between terrorism financing and various crimes, including online scams, Ponzi schemes, and money laundering. Among those arrested, 21 individuals faced charges related to terrorism, 28 for fraud and money laundering, 16 for cyber-enabled scams, and 18 for illegal use of virtual currencies. The operation screened over 15,000 people and entities, identifying 160 new persons of interest.

Significant Arrests in Angola, Kenya, and Nigeria

In Angola, police arrested 25 suspects from several countries involved in illegal money transfer systems linked to terrorism and money laundering. Authorities seized approximately $588,000, 100 phones, and 40 computers, and froze 60 bank accounts.

Kenyan investigators uncovered a suspected money-laundering ring worth around 430,000 dollars through a virtual asset service provider, resulting in two arrests. Additionally, two individuals were arrested for recruiting young people from East and North Africa into terrorist groups using funds traced through a cryptocurrency platform in Tanzania.

In Nigeria, 11 suspected terrorists, including senior members of various groups, were apprehended.

Discovery of Global Cryptocurrency Scam

The operation exposed a large-scale cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme operating as an online trading platform across 17 countries, including Cameroon, Kenya, and Nigeria. This scheme defrauded over 100,000 people worldwide, with losses estimated at 562 million dollars. Some of these funds were suspected of financing terrorist activities.

Interpol issued a Red Notice for a suspect accused of orchestrating a crypto scam worth 5 million dollars, involving fund transfers through multiple digital wallets and exchange platforms to obscure the trail before converting the money into cash.

Joint Efforts Against Terrorism

Interpol Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza described the operation as a significant step in Africa’s efforts to combat terrorism financing. He highlighted the importance of collaboration among financial crime, cybercrime, and counter-terrorism units from several African countries with Interpol and Afripol in disrupting financial flows sustaining terrorist networks.

Afripol’s Executive Director, Ambassador Jalel Chelba, emphasized the success of Operation Catalyst as evidence of the potential achievements through joint action, illustrating that coordinated efforts by African law enforcement can effectively address complex security threats.

International Collaboration

The operation was conducted under the ISPA programme, funded by Germany’s Federal Foreign Office, which supports Afripol’s initiatives against organized crime, terrorism, and financial offences. Private-sector partners Binance, Moody’s, and Uppsala Security contributed cyber intelligence and data to aid the operation.