Kenya joined an international cybercrime crackdown led by INTERPOL that dismantled more than 45,000 malicious Internet Protocol (IP) addresses and servers used in phishing scams, malware distribution, and ransomware attacks worldwide over recent months.
The process involved INTERPOL coordinating law enforcement agencies from 72 countries and territories, including Kenya, which joined Operation Synergia III between July 2025 and January 2026 to track criminal networks running phishing, malware, and ransomware attacks targeting users across the globe.
The coordinated effort, according to INTERPOL, resulted in 94 cross-border arrests, while another 110 suspects remain under investigation as authorities across participating nations carried out raids, seized servers, and disrupted cybercriminal infrastructure used to steal data, money, and identities.
According to INTERPOL, during the months-long operation, investigators analysed intelligence from thousands of suspicious online activities, which later enabled INTERPOL to convert raw cyber data into actionable leads shared with police units in multiple countries for coordinated enforcement action.
A picture of a hooded person coding behind a computer.
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Canva
“During the operation, INTERPOL transformed data into actionable intelligence, facilitated cross-border collaboration, and provided tactical operational assistance to member countries,” stated INTERPOL.
Authorities in the participating countries revealed that most criminals relied on phishing websites, malware-infected servers, and ransomware campaigns to trick victims into revealing personal information, bank details, and passwords before draining accounts or launching further scams against friends and family.
One major case uncovered by police in Macau, China, revealed more than 33,000 fraudulent websites posing as casinos, banks, government portals, and payment platforms, designed to steal login details, credit card numbers, and personal data.
An official INTERPOL report revealed that victims were often lured to fake sites where they topped up accounts or used their financial details, unknowingly handing criminals access to their savings, identities, and digital footprints across multiple online services globally.
In West Africa, for instance, police in Togo arrested ten suspects running a cybercrime ring from a residential neighbourhood, where some hacked social media accounts while others carried out romance scams and sextortion schemes targeting unsuspecting internet users.
After breaking into accounts, the suspects allegedly impersonated victims online, contacting friends, relatives, and followers to build fake relationships or request urgent financial help before directing payments to accounts controlled by the criminal network investigators.
Elsewhere in Bangladesh, authorities arrested forty suspects and confiscated 134 electronic devices believed to be linked to job scams, loan fraud, identity theft and credit card schemes targeting vulnerable internet users across several regions.
Across the wider operation, officers seized 212 electronic devices and servers believed to host malicious software, phishing platforms, and command systems that enabled cybercriminals to coordinate attacks against victims in dozens of countries worldwide. Investigators.
The National Police Service (NPS) and INTERPOL have had a long-standing special relationship that has spanned years. For example, NPS launched a permanent curriculum to provide specialised training to Kenyan police officers on the use of the INTERPOL database, which authorities worldwide use to track criminals.
The INTERPOL Policing Capabilities Foundation Course Module, announced on March 5, will train officers to use global policing databases, secure communication channels, and investigative tools, helping Kenyan authorities identify suspects faster and coordinate cross-border investigations with international partners, a collaboration that is expected to stand the test of time.
Police head instructing the newly rolled out NPS Course to police.
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INTERPOL
