INTERPOL Seizes $130 Million from Cybercriminals Worldwide
During Operation HAECHI III, which took place from June to November 2022, INTERPOL seized $130 million in cash and virtual assets from cybercriminals around the globe. All of these funds were linked to various cybercrimes and money laundering operations.
According to the official press release, Operation HAECHI III enabled INTERPOL to arrest nearly one thousand suspects. The operation involved the following countries: Australia, Austria, Brunei, Cambodia, Côte d’Ivoire, France, Ghana, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives, Nigeria, Philippines, Poland, Romania, Singapore, Slovenia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, and the United States.
“In total, the operation resulted in the detention of 975 individuals and the uncovering of more than 1,600 cases,” law enforcement officials reported. “Additionally, nearly 2,800 bank accounts and virtual asset accounts connected to illegal proceeds from online financial crimes were blocked.”
The types of cybercrimes associated with these arrests and seizures include romance scams, voice phishing, sextortion (a term formed from “sex” and “extortion”), investment fraud, and money laundering related to illegal online gambling.
It was also emphasized that as a result of this operation, INTERPOL identified 16 new cybercrime trends, which will help law enforcement agencies worldwide combat criminals more effectively in the future.
Major Arrests in South Korea
Two key aspects of the operation were:
- The arrest of two South Korean citizens in Greece and Italy, who stole $29.1 million from 2,000 victims.
- The arrest of members of a criminal group based in India who impersonated INTERPOL officers and called victims; the scammers tricked victims into transferring $159,000 in cryptocurrency.