At least 11 suspected high-ranking members of various terrorist groups have been arrested in Nigeria by the International Criminal Police Organisation (Interpol) as part of a coordinated continental crackdown on terrorism financing.
The arrests were made under Operation Catalyst, a two-month joint security effort that spanned six African countries — Nigeria, Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, and South Sudan.
In a statement, Interpol disclosed that the operation targeted terrorism financing networks and illegal activities that sustain them. It said more than 15,000 persons and entities of interest were investigated, leading to the recovery of over $260 million in both fiat and virtual currencies, and the seizure of $600,000 in assets.
“Of the 83 arrests, 21 were for terrorism-related crimes, 28 for financial fraud and money laundering, 16 were linked to cyber-enabled scams, while 18 were connected to the illicit use of virtual assets,” Interpol stated.
The arrests mark a major milestone in international efforts to dismantle transnational criminal networks funding terrorism across Africa.