More than 5,800 people have been arrested and approximately $293 million in illicit assets have been intercepted or frozen after Interpol led a global crackdown on cyber-enabled financial crime, including illegal online gambling, business email compromise, investment fraud, romance scams and the money laundering networks that help criminal groups move stolen funds.
The operation, conducted between January 15 and April 30, brought together authorities from 97 countries and territories to crack down on organized fraud networks involved in business email compromise, investment fraud, romance scams, impersonation scams, illegal online gambling, and the money laundering schemes used to move criminal proceeds.
🚨 5,800+ arrests, USD 293 million intercepted across 97 countries
The results of Operation First Light 2026 highlight the global scale of social engineering fraud and associated money laundering.
Coordinated by INTERPOL, the operation targeted the criminal networks behind… pic.twitter.com/ArRit7NmMp
— INTERPOL (@INTERPOL_HQ) July 9, 2026
According to Interpol, investigators analyzed 152,808 cases, solved 23,715 investigations, identified more than 15,600 suspects and more than 142,000 victims, blocked 31,014 bank accounts, and issued 99 Interpol Notices and Diffusions during the operation.
The latest operation follows a series of coordinated international enforcement actions by Interpol targeting cyber-enabled crime. Earlier this year, Operation Red Card led to the arrest of 306 suspects across seven African countries after authorities dismantled criminal networks involved in online casino scams, mobile fraud and digital investment schemes. That operation, conducted between November 2024 and February 2025 through Interpol’s African Joint Operation against Cybercrime (AFJOC), also resulted in the seizure of more than 1,800 electronic devices and identified more than 5,000 victims.
Authorities reported a series of major cases across participating countries during the latest global operation.
In Eswatini, police arrested 82 suspects after dismantling a criminal network linked to illegal online gambling, money laundering and impersonation scams. Investigators also seized hundreds of electronic devices and uncovered what authorities described as a fake Brazilian police station used to deceive victims as part of the scheme.
In Thailand, investigators uncovered a cryptocurrency-based money laundering operation connected to romance scams. Authorities said one suspect’s digital wallet processed more than $122.5 million over a 10-month period.
Law enforcement agencies in Singapore and Oman worked together to stop a fraudulent transfer worth $6.6 million after uncovering a business email compromise scheme, while police in Macao, China, prevented a victim from sending nearly $372,000 after identifying an active impersonation scam during a public awareness campaign.
Illegal gambling and fraud networks disrupted across continents by Interpol
Operation Red Card also exposed the regional impact of cybercrime across Africa. In Nigeria, authorities arrested 130 suspects, including 113 foreign nationals, accused of operating online casino and fake investment scams that allegedly converted criminal proceeds into cryptocurrency. Nigerian investigators also raised concerns that some people working in the scam centers may have been trafficked or coerced. In Rwanda, police arrested 45 suspects linked to social engineering scams involving fake lottery winnings, telecom impersonation and emergency payment requests, recovering more than $100,000. Authorities in South Africa dismantled a SIM box fraud network, while police in Zambia arrested 14 suspects connected to malicious messaging-link scams.
Interpol said the operation reflects the increasingly international nature of financial crime, with criminal organizations using digital platforms, cryptocurrency and cross-border money laundering networks to target victims and quickly move stolen funds.
Police inspect an alleged cybercrime scam center during an INTERPOL-led international crackdown on illegal online gambling and online fraud. Credit: Interpol
“Social engineering scams continue to pose a significant threat to our society. Criminal syndicates exploit human psychology to manipulate their targets, and no nation can stay safe unless all countries are equipped and committed to jointly fighting back,” said Tomonobu Kaya, Director of the Interpol Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre.
“INTERPOL is dedicated to supporting member countries in building a comprehensive, coordinated strategy to tackle cyber-enabled financial crimes, organized criminal networks and the money laundering that fuels them.”
Separately, Interpol Director of Cybercrime Neal Jetton said Operation Red Card demonstrated “the power of international cooperation in combating cybercrime, which knows no borders and can have devastating effects on individuals and communities.”
Interpol said coordinated intelligence sharing and enforcement efforts enabled participating countries to identify suspects, freeze criminal assets, dismantle fraud operations and prevent additional financial losses. The operation also targeted the financial infrastructure behind online scams, focusing on the accounts, cryptocurrency transactions and laundering networks that allow organized criminal groups to profit from fraud.
The organization said the latest results, together with previous initiatives such as Operation Red Card, demonstrate the impact of coordinated international action against cyber-enabled financial crime, with thousands of arrests, millions of dollars in illicit assets intercepted, and organized fraud networks disrupted across multiple regions.
Featured image: Interpol via press release
