A sweeping International Police (INTERPOL) operation has disrupted cybercrime networks across Africa, with Ghana emerging as one of the leading contributors to the crackdown.
The coordinated effort, dubbed Operation Contender 3.0, spanned 14 countries and led to the arrest of 260 suspected scammers, the seizure of over 1,200 electronic devices, and the dismantling of 81 cybercrime infrastructures.
According to an official statement by INTERPOL, Ghanaian authorities played a pivotal role by “arresting 68 individuals, confiscating 835 devices, and identifying 108 victims linked to cyber fraud.” The country’s investigations revealed financial losses amounting to $450,000, with $70,000 successfully recovered during the operation.
The operation focused on dismantling criminal networks exploiting social media and dating platforms to conduct romance scams and sextortion schemes. Victims were lured into trust before being extorted for money, often through fabricated courier fees or customs charges.
INTERPOL explained that suspects in Ghana and other African countries “used fake profiles, forged identities and stolen images to deceive victims.” In many sextortion cases, perpetrators secretly recorded intimate videos during explicit online chats, later weaponising the content to blackmail their targets.
Cyril Gout, Acting Executive Director of Police Services at INTERPOL, underscored the growing risk posed by these scams.
“Cybercrime units across Africa are reporting a sharp rise in digital-enabled crimes such as sextortion and romance scams. The growth of online platforms has opened new opportunities for criminal networks to exploit victims, causing both financial loss and psychological harm”
Cyril Gout, Acting Executive Director of Police Services at INTERPOL
He credited the success of Operation Contender 3.0 to close collaboration between INTERPOL, its member states, and private sector partners, noting that data-sharing agreements with firms such as Group-IB and Trend Micro enhanced investigative capabilities.
Regional Impact Across Africa
Beyond Ghana, several countries recorded significant breakthroughs during the operation, which ran from July 28 to August 11, 2025.
In Senegal, authorities arrested 22 suspects accused of impersonating celebrities to manipulate 120 victims, resulting in losses of about $34,000. In Côte d’Ivoire, police dismantled a cybercrime ring that coerced individuals into sharing intimate material before blackmailing them, leading to 24 arrests and the identification of 809 victims.
Angola also saw eight suspects arrested for creating fake identities through fraudulent documents and social media platforms to target unsuspecting individuals. The wide-reaching initiative exposed the diversity of tactics used by cybercriminals, highlighting both the sophistication of the schemes and the vulnerability of victims across the continent.
Ghana’s scale of arrests and seizures underlined its frontline position in combating online fraud in Africa. With 835 devices confiscated, Ghana accounted for the largest share of electronic evidence gathered during the operation.
The statement from INTERPOL pointed out that Ghana’s findings not only revealed significant financial losses but also contributed valuable leads to broader investigations, connecting domestic syndicates to international cybercrime networks.
The impact of Ghana’s efforts was described as “critical to the operation’s overall success.” By recovering part of the stolen funds and exposing key methods used by scammers, Ghana provided a template for other countries seeking to disrupt similar operations.
Operation Contender 3.0 ultimately reinforced the scale of cybercrime threats facing Africa. The $2.8 million in recorded losses and the 1,463 identified victims underscored the far-reaching consequences of digital-enabled fraud.
As INTERPOL noted, the findings emphasised the urgent need for continued cross-border cooperation, capacity building, and technological investment to combat rapidly evolving cyber threats.
With Ghana playing a central role in this latest crackdown, attention now shifts to sustaining the momentum. For many observers, the operation signalled not just the scale of the problem but also the potential for coordinated action to deliver real results in protecting African citizens and global victims alike.
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