INTERPOL has announced the arrest of 83 individuals across six African countries following a crackdown on money laundering and terrorism financing.
In a statement on Wednesday, October 22, INTERPOL described the operation, which took place between July and September 2025, as the first of its kind in the fight against terrorism-related financial crimes.
The operation, codenamed Operation Catalyst, brought together security agencies from multiple African nations in partnership with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL.
“A first-of-its-kind operation targeting terrorism financing and the illegal activity supporting it, has led to 83 arrests across six African countries and the identification of 160 persons of interest.
“Operation Catalyst (July – September 2025) aimed to identify and disrupt financial flows and schemes found to have connections to terrorism financing and its support networks,” the statement read.
INTERPOL said the crackdown led to the arrest of 83 people for a range of crimes tied to illicit financial activities.
“Of the 83 arrests, 21 were for terrorism-related crimes, 28 were for financial fraud and money laundering, 16 were linked to cyber-enabled scams and a further 18 were related to the illicit use of virtual assets.
“Over the two-month operation, jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, authorities across participating countries screened more than 15,000 persons of interest and entities, uncovering around USD 260 million in both fiat and virtual currencies potentially linked to terrorism-related activities. Approximately USD 600,000 has already been seized, with additional investigations underway to trace and recover further assets,” the statement continued.
Among the key breakthroughs was a major bust in Angola where 25 people were arrested over potential terrorist financing and money laundering.
“In one significant case from Angola, 25 individuals of multiple nationalities were detained following investigations into informal value transfer systems that were identified as connected to potential terrorist financing and money laundering.
“The operation included the inspection of 30 commercial establishments, where police seized approximately USD 588,000, 100 mobile phones and 40 computers. Sixty bank accounts were also frozen,” the statement further read.
Kenya was also among the countries where critical arrests were made and funds used for terrorism recruitment and radicalization traced.
“In Kenya, a suspected money laundering operation using a virtual asset service provider was identified as having potential links to terrorism financing. The scheme, worth approximately USD 430,000, involved 12 people, two of whom have so far been arrested.
“In a separate case in Kenya, two individuals were arrested for the online recruitment of young people from East and North Africa into terrorist groups. The funds used for the recruitment and radicalization were traced through a cryptocurrency trading platform, back to individuals in Tanzania,” the statement revealed.
Elsewhere, in Nigeria, authorities made a number of terrorism-related arrests and exposed one of the world’s largest crypto-based Ponzi schemes.
“In Nigeria, the operation led to the arrest of 11 suspected terrorists, including high-level members of several terrorist groups. One notable transnational case involved a massive cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme, which claimed to be a legitimate online trading platform, affected at least 17 countries around the world, including Cameroon, Kenya, and Nigeria.
“The scheme accumulated more than 100,000 victims around the world, with an estimated loss to victims of USD 562 million. The investigations related to Operation Catalyst found that several large-valued wallets were potentially linked to terrorism financing activities. The case is still ongoing, with investigations currently in progress,” the statement read.
INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza praised the operation as a breakthrough in cross-border collaboration to dismantle terrorist funding streams.
“Operation Catalyst is the first time, financial crime, cybercrime and counter-terrorism units from multiple African countries have joined forces with INTERPOL and AFRIPOL to target the financing of terrorism.
“By sharing intelligence, expertise and resources, we can more effectively identify and disrupt the financial flows that support terrorist activities to stay one step ahead of these threats and keep our communities safe,” he said.
AFRIPOL’s Executive Director, Ambassador Jalel Chelba, also commended the effort, calling it a model of continental cooperation.
“The success of Operation Catalyst lies in the synergy and convergence of efforts among national units combating financial crime, cybercrime, and terrorism. This joint endeavour, dedicated to disrupting the financing of terrorism across the African continent, illustrates how coordinated action between Member States, facilitated by AFRIPOL and INTERPOL, can effectively address complex and evolving security threats.
“Such cooperation stands as tangible proof that Africa’s law-enforcement community, when united, offers a decisive and appropriate response in the pursuit of a secure and stable Africa,” he remarked.
INTERPOL also confirmed that the operation led to a major international alert for one suspect believed to have masterminded a crypto scam tied to terrorist funding.
“As part of Operation Catalyst, a Red Notice was also issued for an individual thought to be behind a sophisticated cryptocurrency scheme which scammed victims of approximately USD 5 million.
“The scam redirected funds to multiple addresses and centralized exchange platforms to obscure the trail and convert the assets into fiat currency. Investigators believe the case exhibits several traits consistent with known terrorist financing methodologies,” the statement concluded.
