Interpol seizes $439 million in global cybercrime crackdown

Interpol has seized more than $439 million in cash and cryptocurrency tied to cyber-enabled financial crimes following a five-month joint operation that involved law enforcement agencies across 40 countries and five continents.

The initiative, codenamed Operation HAECHI VI, ran from April through August 2025 and targeted a wide range of online crimes, including voice phishing, investment and e-commerce fraud, sextortion, business email compromise, romance scams, and money laundering linked to illegal online gambling.

Authorities seized 400 cryptocurrency wallets and blocked more than 68,000 associated bank accounts. Investigators also uncovered large-scale fraud schemes, including the arrest of 45 suspects in Portugal accused of illegally accessing social security accounts and rerouting funds meant for vulnerable families.

In another case, the Royal Thai Police intercepted $6.6 million that had been transferred by a major Japanese corporation into accounts controlled by a transnational organized crime group made up of Thai and West African nationals.

“As one of Interpol’s flagship financial crime operations, HAECHI is a prime example of how global cooperation can protect communities and safeguard financial systems,” said Theos Badege, head of Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre. “We encourage more member countries to join us in this collective effort, so that meaningful difference can be made in the fight against cyber-enabled crime.”

The latest operation follows earlier HAECHI actions. Operation HAECHI V, conducted between July and November 2024, resulted in the seizure of $400 million and the arrest of more than 5,500 suspects. Operation HAECHI IV, carried out a year earlier, led to 3,500 arrests and the recovery of $300 million in illicit proceeds.

Interpol has also mounted other international crackdowns in 2025, coordinating operations against infostealer malware, networks distributing child sexual abuse material, and transnational cybercrime groups.