INTERPOL has coordinated a first-of-its-kind cybercrime crackdown across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) that led to 201 arrests and the identification of an additional 382 suspects.
The initiative involved the efforts of 13 countries from the region between October 2025 and February 2026, aiming to investigate and neutralize malicious infrastructure, arrest perpetrators behind these activities, and prevent future losses.
“The operation focused on neutralizing phishing and malware threats, as well as tackling cyber scams that inflict severe cost to the region,” INTERPOL said in a statement. “In addition to the arrests made, 3,867 victims were identified, and 53 servers were seized.”
The operation, codenamed Ramz, led to the disruption of a phishing-as-a-service (PhaaS) by Algerian authorities after its server was confiscated, along with a computer, a mobile phone, and hard drives containing phishing software and scripts. One suspect was arrested in connection with the scheme.
Elsewhere, Moroccan officials seized computers, smartphones, and external hard drives that contained banking data and software used for phishing operations.
Authorities also identified a legitimate server located in a private residence in Oman that contained sensitive information. The server suffered from multiple critical security vulnerabilities and was infected by malware. INTERPOL said actions were taken to disable the server.
In a similar case, compromised devices were discovered in Qatar, with the owners themselves unaware that their systems were being used to spread “malicious threats.” Although the exact nature of these threats was not disclosed, the impacted machines are said to have been secured, and the device owners were alerted to take appropriate security measures.
Lastly, Jordanian police identified a computer that was used to run financial fraud scams, where unsuspecting users were tricked into investing their assets in a seemingly legitimate trading platform, only for it to shut down once the funds were deposited.
“A raid uncovered 15 individuals carrying out the scams, but investigators determined that they were victims of human trafficking who had been recruited under the false promise of employment from their home countries in Asia,” INTERPOL said.
“Upon arrival in Jordan, their passports were confiscated, and they were forced or coerced into participating in the scheme. Two individuals suspected of orchestrating the operation were arrested.”
Group-IB, which was one of the private sector companies that participated in the effort, said it provided “actionable intelligence” on over 5,000 compromised accounts, including those that were associated with government infrastructure, and shared details about active phishing infrastructure across the region.
“Cybercrime is borderless, and the only effective response is one that is equally borderless,” Joe Sander, CEO of Team Cymru, said. “Operation Ramz is exactly that kind of response, law…
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