More Than 5,800 Arrests Made Across 97 Countries
Interpol has revealed the results of Operation First Light 2026, a global law enforcement campaign targeting online fraud and the money laundering networks that support it. The operation involved authorities from 97 countries and territories, leading to 5,811 arrests and the seizure of $293 million in illicit assets.
Source: interpol.int
Investigators also identified more than 142,000 victims, blocked over 31,000 bank accounts, and solved nearly 24,000 fraud cases during the four-month operation.
Crypto Used to Hide Romance Scam Proceeds
One of the biggest discoveries came in Thailand, where police dismantled a crypto money laundering operation linked to romance scams. According to Interpol, suspects converted stolen funds into multiple cryptocurrencies and used cross-chain token swaps to make transactions harder to trace.
Authorities said a single wallet controlled by one suspect processed more than $122.5 million over a 10-month period, highlighting how criminals are increasingly turning to crypto to move illicit funds across blockchain networks.
Interpol Calls for Global Cooperation
Interpol’s Director of the Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, Tomonobu Kaya, warned that fraud networks continue to exploit trust on a global scale.
“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.”
Source: interpol.int
The operation also disrupted scam centers in multiple countries and used Interpol’s rapid payment intervention system to freeze suspicious transfers involving both traditional currencies and virtual assets. Officials say the results demonstrate the growing importance of international cooperation in tackling crypto-related financial crime.
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