INTERPOL ARRESTS 11 TOP TERROR SUSPECTS IN NIGERIA, UNCOVERS $260M IN GLOBAL OPERATION
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Interpol has arrested 11 high-ranking members of terrorist groups in Nigeria as part of a continent-wide crackdown on terrorism financing and cyber-enabled crime.
The two-month operation, code-named Operation Catalyst, was conducted in collaboration with the African Union Mechanism for Police Cooperation (AFRIPOL) and security agencies across six African countries — Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, and South Sudan.
According to Interpol, the coordinated sweep led to 83 arrests and uncovered $260 million in both fiat and virtual currencies suspected to be linked to terrorism financing and money-laundering activities. Authorities also seized $600,000 in cash during the operation.
The suspects in Nigeria were apprehended following intelligence-led investigations into terrorism financing networks, cybercrime rings, and illegal virtual-asset transactions. Those arrested are believed to have played significant roles in facilitating cross-border financial operations for extremist organisations.
In total, 21 individuals were detained for terrorism-related offences, 28 for financial fraud and money-laundering, 16 for cyber-enabled crimes, and 18 for illicit virtual-asset activity.
Interpol said the operation exposed complex financial schemes that rely on informal value transfer systems and cryptocurrency channels to fund extremist movements and other organised criminal enterprises.
In one case, investigators in Angola dismantled an international money transfer network allegedly tied to terrorist financing. In Kenya, a suspected virtual-asset money-laundering operation was disrupted, while across multiple countries, law enforcement agencies identified a massive cryptocurrency-based Ponzi scheme that defrauded victims of hundreds of millions of dollars.
Nigerian security agencies are now working closely with Interpol and AFRIPOL to trace frozen bank accounts and digital wallets linked to the suspects. Authorities say further arrests may follow as investigations continue.
Interpol urged member states to maintain cross-border cooperation, share intelligence, and enhance financial surveillance to cut off the funding streams that sustain terrorism and organised crime.
Security analysts have described the breakthrough as a major step in weakening extremist networks, warning however that lasting success will depend on consistent collaboration between financial intelligence units, law enforcement, and judicial systems across Africa.
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