Kenya joined in an international crackdown targeting cybercrime, led by INTERPOL, that disrupted over 45,000 malicious online addresses and servers that were being used to perpetrate scams.
The operation, which involved 72 countries, lasted between July 2025 and January 2026. During the operation, police forces worked together to combat phishing, malware, and ransomware attacks targeting internet users across the world.
According to INTERPOL, a total of 94 suspects were arrested across various countries. In addition to this, another 110 suspects are under investigation. The police went through thousands of dubious internet activities over the period and shared the information with other police forces to help identify the people involved in the crime.
The operation, according to the government, helped turn cyber information into intelligence, thus facilitating quick action against the suspects. The suspects, in most cases, used fake websites, fake servers, and ransomware to trick people, leading them to reveal their passwords, bank account information, and credit cards. The information is then used to steal money or to perpetuate other scams.
One of the most interesting cases was in Macau, where more than 33,000 fake sites pretending to be casinos, banks, government agencies, and even payment sites were discovered. These sites were designed to steal login information and financial details of unsuspecting internet users.
In West Africa, police in Togo arrested 10 suspects believed to be operating a cybercrime network in a residential area. The suspects allegedly hacked people’s social media accounts and carried out romance scams and online extortion. The perpetrators even pretended to be the victims in order to trick friends and family into sending them money.
Other cases involved police in Bangladesh arresting 40 suspects involved in various cases of online job scams, loan scams, identity theft, and credit card scams. The police also confiscated 134 devices believed to have been used in the commission of the crime.
During the operation, police confiscated a total of 212 electronic devices and servers used in the various cybercrime networks.
The Kenyan government was involved through the National Police Service, which works in close cooperation with INTERPOL in various international cases. The Kenyan police recently introduced a training program for police officers in the country. The training is designed to enable the police to understand how to use the INTERPOL database and how to track
