A sweeping international cybercrime crackdown has led to the arrest of 306 individuals across seven African nations, following a months-long investigation targeting online casino scams, mobile fraud, and digital investment cons.
Dubbed Operation Red Card, the initiative ran from November 2024 to February 2025, and exposed the scale of coordinated cross-border cyber-enabled criminal networks.
Authorities in Benin, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Togo, and Zambia took part in the effort, coordinated through INTERPOL’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), with support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office.
More than 1,800 devices were seized during the raids, alongside vehicles, properties, and digital assets believed to be tied to the scams.
