Interpol has confirmed the arrest of 11 suspected terrorists in Nigeria in a sweeping international operation targeting the financial networks that fund global terrorism.
The arrests were made under Operation Catalyst, a two-month coordinated mission led by Interpol in partnership with the African Union’s police cooperation agency, AFRIPOL. The large-scale security operation spanned six African nations, Nigeria, Angola, Kenya, Cameroon, Namibia, and South Sudan.
According to Interpol, Operation Catalyst was designed to disrupt the financial pipelines that enable terrorist activities and related crimes across Africa. Investigators examined over 15,000 individuals and companies suspected of involvement in illegal financial transactions. The joint task force uncovered $260 million in cash and digital assets believed to be linked to terrorist financing and confiscated over $600,000 during the raids.
Across all six countries, authorities made 83 arrests in total including 21 for terrorism-related offences, 28 for financial fraud and money laundering, 16 for cyber scams, and 18 for the illegal use of digital currencies.
In Nigeria, 11 individuals were apprehended for their alleged involvement in terrorist organizations. Interpol described several of the suspects as “high-ranking operatives” responsible for coordinating funding and logistics within terror networks. Nigerian authorities are now working closely with Interpol to trace financial connections between the suspects and transnational terror groups.
Elsewhere in Africa, 25 people were arrested in Angola for operating money transfer systems that allegedly funded extremist activities. Officials seized about $588,000, 100 mobile phones, 40 computers, and froze 60 bank accounts tied to the suspects.
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Interpol also revealed the dismantling of a massive international cryptocurrency scam run across 17 countries, including Nigeria, Cameroon, and Kenya. The scam, which disguised itself as a legitimate trading platform, defrauded more than 100,000 victims worldwide and generated losses estimated at $562 million.
The organization confirmed that investigations are still ongoing to track several high-value cryptocurrency wallets suspected of funding terrorism and cybercrime.
