Interpol nabs 201 suspects in months-long, 13-country crackdown on cybercriminals
The International Criminal Police Organisation, INTERPOL, said its
first-of-its-kind cybercrime operation in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region has led to the arrest of 201 individuals, with additional 382 suspects identified.
In a statement on Monday, INTERPOL said the exercise tagged “Operation Ramz” carried out in the Middle East and North Africa in five months, from October 2025 to February 2026, led to the arrest of hundreds of cybercriminals.
The INTERPOL said, “In addition to the arrests made, 3,867 victims were identified, and 53 servers were seized. Thirteen countries from the Middle East and North Africa took part in Operation Ramz (October 2025 –28 February 2026) which aimed to investigate and disrupt malicious infrastructure, identify and arrest suspects, and prevent future losses.”
The international police said Operation Ramz focused on neutralising phishing and malware threats, as well as tackling cyber scams that inflict severe cost to the region.
According to INTERPOL, Operation Ramz marked a milestone as the first cyber operation of its scale coordinated by the organisation in the MENA region.
It noted that during the effort, nearly 8,000 pieces of crucial data and intelligence were disseminated among participating countries to initiate and support investigations.
The INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, Neal Jetton, said, “In a world where cybercriminals exploit the digital landscape without borders, Operation Ramz demonstrates the effectiveness of global collaboration.
“INTERPOL is dedicated to working with its member countries and private sector partners to take down malicious infrastructure, disrupt criminal groups and bring perpetrators to justice.”
Highlighting the success of Operation Ramz in specific countries within the region, INTERPOL said during the operation, arrests were made in Qatar, Jordan, Oman, Morocco and Algeria, including confiscation of several smartphones, computers and devices used for wire fraud.
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