A sweeping joint operation between INTERPOL and AFRIPOL, dubbed Operation Catalyst, has led to 83 arrests across six African nations, exposing a massive $562 million cryptocurrency Ponzi scheme and uncovering extensive links between digital assets and terrorism financing.
Running from July to September 2025, the coordinated crackdown involved law enforcement in Nigeria, Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, and South Sudan, marking one of the largest joint financial crime investigations ever conducted on the continent.
Officials said more than 15,000 individuals and entities were screened, leading to the identification of $260 million in suspicious fiat and virtual currency flows tied to financial crime and potential terror financing. Roughly $600,000 in cash and digital assets was seized during the multi-agency sweep.
Crypto Crimes at the Core of the Investigation
A central focus of Operation Catalyst was a crypto-based Ponzi scheme that defrauded over 100,000 victims across 17 countries, raising $562 million in total. Investigators traced several high-value cryptocurrency wallets linked to the scheme, some of which were connected to terrorism financing networks.
INTERPOL issued a Red Notice for one of the operation’s alleged masterminds, who remains at large. The agency noted that 18 of the total arrests were directly related to the illicit use of virtual assets, emphasizing the growing role of cryptocurrency in both fraud and the financing of extremist activity.
Breakthrough in Counter-Terrorism Coordination
In a major first, financial crime, cybercrime, and counter-terrorism units from multiple African countries collaborated under a unified framework. The partnership allowed for real-time intelligence sharing and synchronized arrests across borders.
In Nigeria, authorities detained 11 suspected high-level members of terrorist organizations, marking a significant blow to funding channels used to sustain regional insurgencies.
A Milestone in African Financial Enforcement
INTERPOL and AFRIPOL leaders hailed Operation Catalyst as a milestone for African cross-border policing. Officials described it as a model for future efforts to disrupt complex crypto-financial ecosystems that enable both fraud and extremism.
“The integration of digital forensics, blockchain tracing, and regional intelligence sharing has transformed the fight against terrorism financing,” one senior INTERPOL official stated.
With several investigations still ongoing, Operation Catalyst underscores a growing global recognition: crypto-related financial crime is no longer a niche threat, it’s a cornerstone of modern illicit finance.
