INTERPOL has completed its biggest cybercrime crackdown so far, leading to the arrest of 201 suspects across 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa under Operation Ramz. The large-scale operation was carried out between October 2025 and February 2026 to target phishing attacks, malware networks, and online financial scams causing major losses across the region.
The operation focused on identifying cybercriminal infrastructure, tracking suspects, disrupting illegal activities, and preventing future cyber fraud incidents. Along with the arrests, authorities identified 382 additional suspects, seized 53 servers, and traced 3,867 victims connected to the investigation.
INTERPOL revealed that nearly 8,000 critical intelligence inputs and data points were shared among participating countries to support investigations and strengthen regional cybercrime coordination. The agency also worked closely with cybersecurity companies including Group-IB, Kaspersky, Shadowserver Foundation, Team Cymru, and TrendAI to monitor cyber threats and identify compromised systems.
Several major actions were carried out during the operation. In Qatar, authorities identified infected devices that were secretly being used to spread cyber threats, following which the systems were secured and owners were alerted. In Jordan, investigators uncovered a fake online trading platform linked to financial fraud. Authorities identified 15 victims of human trafficking and arrested 2 suspected organisers.
Omani authorities discovered a malware-infected server operating from a private residence and shut it down after finding critical security vulnerabilities. In Algeria, police dismantled a phishing-as-a-service platform and seized servers, phones, computers, hard drives, and phishing scripts. Moroccan authorities also confiscated devices and banking data connected to phishing operations, while 3 individuals were placed under judicial proceedings.
“In a world where cybercriminals exploit the digital landscape without borders, Operation Ramz demonstrates the effectiveness of global collaboration,” said Neal Jetton, Director of Cybercrime at INTERPOL.
He further added, “INTERPOL is dedicated to working with its member countries and private sector partners to dismantle malicious infrastructure, disrupt criminal groups, and bring perpetrators to justice.”
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