The International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) has arrested 11 suspected high-level members of various terrorist groups in Nigeria as part of a major crackdown on terrorism financing and related crimes.
The suspects were among 83 people apprehended across six African countries during a two-month operation code-named Operation Catalyst. The coordinated effort involved Nigeria, Angola, Cameroon, Kenya, Namibia, and South Sudan.
According to INTERPOL, the operation focused on dismantling financial networks that support terrorism and other organized crimes. More than 15,000 individuals and entities were investigated, leading to the discovery of $260 million in fiat and virtual currencies and the seizure of over $600,000.
“Of the 83 arrests, 21 were for terrorism-related crimes, 28 for financial fraud and money laundering, 16 for cyber-enabled scams, and 18 for the illicit use of virtual assets,” INTERPOL stated.
