The International Criminal and Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) and the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) recently dismantled 24 criminal cyber networks in African countries that intended to seize more than 40 million dollars.
The information was released this Tuesday by the president of Interpol, Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi, at the opening of the organization's 26th African Regional Conference, taking place in the Angolan capital, Luanda. Ahmed Naser Al-Raisi also reported that in May this year, Interpol and Afripol, as part of their operations, blocked more than 200 bank accounts linked to various networks of criminal organizations in West Africa.
The senior Interpol leader left a clear message to African criminal networks, “that no matter where these criminals are, we will pursue them and make them face the bars of justice”. He made it known that, in recent times, Africa is facing an increase in cybercrimes, which create major challenges for governments, companies and citizens. “Attacks are increasingly complex with criminals using innovative methods to gain access to confidential data and information,” he stressed.
He recognized that cybercrimes are growing very quickly in relation to other forms of crime, remembering that between 2021 and 2022 the figure reached 30 percent. He reported that the African cybercrime assessment report identified cyber threats that affect the region, including online crime attacks, which encourage the theft of sensitive information that threaten people's lives.
The head of Interpol pointed out the need to increasingly build capacity to combat international crimes at a global level.
Interpol is the largest universal Police Organization that provides police assistance, investigates and coordinates, among the various police forces in the world, the prevention and combat of transnational crime. With the event, the International Criminal and Penal Police Organization intends, among other topics, to address the current challenges of transnational crime, the application of laws on terrorism, cybercrime, financial crime and corruption, human trafficking and maritime piracy.
The Interpol African Regional Conference is attended by 350 delegates from African countries, the United States of America, Canada, the Kingdom of Great Britain, Australia, Qatar, Serbia, Guatemala and Brazil.
