INTERPOL's Operation First Light 2026, conducted from January 15 to April 30, 2026, across 97 countries and territories, resulted in the arrest of 5,811 individuals and the seizure of approximately $293 million in illicit assets linked to online scams. The global policing organization announced the results on Thursday, July 9, 2026, highlighting a coordinated crackdown on social engineering scams and related money laundering activities.
Targeted Crimes and Global Impact
The operation targeted business email compromise, sextortion, romance scams, impersonation fraud, and investment fraud. Authorities analyzed 152,808 cases, resolved 23,715 of them, identified 15,606 suspects, blocked 31,014 bank accounts, and issued 99 INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions. More than 142,000 victims were identified worldwide, underscoring the extensive financial harm caused by these schemes.
Enforcement actions included raids on suspected criminal locations, freezing of bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, and use of INTERPOL's Global Rapid Intervention of Payments mechanism to intercept suspicious financial transfers in real time.
Sophisticated Criminal Networks
Tomonobu Kaya, Director of the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, stated: "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." He added that INTERPOL would continue supporting member countries in building coordinated strategies against cyber-enabled financial crimes and organized criminal networks.
Notable Arrests and Seizures
In Eswatini, police arrested 82 people linked to an illegal online gambling and impersonation fraud network. Officers seized 240 electronic devices, foreign currencies, and a replica of a Brazilian police station with counterfeit uniforms and equipment used to deceive victims.
In Thailand, two suspects were arrested for a romance scam and cryptocurrency money laundering network. One suspect's digital wallet had processed over $122.5 million in illicit funds within 10 months.
Singapore and Oman collaborated to block a fraudulent transfer of $6.6 million tied to a business email compromise scheme targeting a commodity trading company. In Macao, police prevented a victim from sending nearly $372,000 to fraudsters posing as government officials, identifying the scam during a community outreach campaign.
In Palau, 22 individuals connected to scam centers operating out of hotels were deported. Authorities said the suspects targeted foreign victims through cryptocurrency platforms and illegal gambling websites.
Conclusion
INTERPOL described Operation First Light 2026 as a demonstration of sustained international cooperation against criminal networks driving cyber-enabled financial fraud.
