Category: Interpol

NEW YORK, United States: INTERPOL has welcomed the adoption of the United Nations (UN) Convention Against Cybercrime by the UN General Assembly as a significant milestone in the fight against cyber threats.

The first legally binding UN instrument on cybercrime, the convention is the product of five years of government negotiations, informed by INTERPOL and other international organizations and stakeholders.

Complementing the current framework of UN crime-related treaties, it expands and updates the existing legal foundations of the international fight against crime.INTERPOL’s active participation in the discussions ensured that law enforcement perspectives and existing practical solutions to combat cybercrime were integrated into the treaty.

The convention recognizes the essential role of INTERPOL’s law enforcement network in facilitating international cooperation through the rapid and secure exchange of information on “computer-related crime” and other related criminal offences.

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said:

“Cybercrime is a uniquely borderless threat that is increasing at a dramatic rate. Cyber attacks destroy businesses, undermine public institutions, and endanger lives.

“Only by moving forward together in lockstep can countries effectively combat cybercrime. The UN cybercrime convention provides a basis for a new cross-sector level of international cooperation we desperately need.”

Record surge in cyber attacks worldwide

The UN convention establishes a framework to tackle evolving cybercrime challenges, including the illegal access and interception of electronic data; online child sexual abuse and grooming; and money laundering.

It also calls on signatories to collaborate in intercepting the illicit proceeds of cybercrime and in collecting and sharing electronic evidence.
The adoption of the UN convention comes amid a sharp escalation in the scale and complexity of cyber attacks, which increased by a record 75 per cent year-on-year in the third quarter of 2024.

In September, a two-month cybercrime operation coordinated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL saw law enforcement from 19 African countries arrest 1,006 suspects and dismantle 134,089 malicious infrastructures and networks.

INTERPOL helps law enforcement across its 196-country membership more effectively combat cybercrime by sharing intelligence – including from private sector partners – coordinating operations and conducting training programmes.

Learn more about INTERPOL’s approach to combating cybercrime on our website: https://www.interpol.int/en/Crimes/Cybercrime

LYON, France – An innovative new operation to tackle the emerging trend of human trafficking facilitated by technology, including social media, apps and other digital platforms, has been launched by INTERPOL and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

The initiative is a response to a worrying pattern of victims being trafficked from Latin America, lured by fake or deceptive job offers. They are then taken to another country, increasingly in Europe, where they are subject to exploitation, mainly through prostitution.

This first-of-its-kind operation took place from 19 to 22 November 2024, during which the participating officers were supported by INTERPOL’s capabilities in human trafficking, facial recognition, cybercrime and criminal analysis.

Throughout the action days, participating countries worked side by side poring over information from websites and messaging apps. Significant results included the identification of:

• 68 potential victims
• 146 potential exploiters, recruiters and facilitators
• 365 usernames and 162 URLs linked to suspicious activity.

Cyril Gout, INTERPOL’s Acting Executive Director of Police Services, said:

“Technology is, now more than ever, facilitating all forms of organized crime – human trafficking is no exception. This innovative operational week at INTERPOL’s headquarters successfully brought together officers at both ends of this troubling trafficking flow between Latin America and Europe. Their hard work led to the detection of hundreds of incidents and data elements that will be the basis for further investigation.”

In one case, the Netherlands and Venezuela were able to collect facial images of women advertised as Venezuelan escorts on European websites and run them through INTERPOL databases. A match was made to a Blue Notice – a notice which seeks to collect information about a person’s identity or location because of a suspected connection to, or knowledge of, a criminal investigation.

The operation also detected an influx of Brazilian women on adult service websites advertised in Ireland, with one individual suspected to be behind the numerous accounts. Police from Ireland and Brazil worked together to identify a suspected recruiter with links to an organized crime group. A similar pattern was observed by the United Kingdom, which identified a domestic services website closely connected to a page offering sexually explicit content.

Officers from Spain and Colombia teamed up to investigate the recruitment of Colombian women to work as escorts in Spain, only to be forced into prostitution. To be released from their debt, victims were being asked to pay EUR 12,000.

Meanwhile, police from the Netherlands focused on examining active Telegram groups featuring offers for sex workers which showed signs of exploitation. They were able to extract a range of images, usernames and even telephone numbers, which were shared with all participating officers, prompting multiple further probes.

In another example, officers from Germany detected a potentially underage victim being advertised in Switzerland. The case was communicated to Swiss authorities via INTERPOL’s secure messaging system for further investigation, helping to verify the victim’s age and locate potential traffickers.

This inaugural event provided valuable intelligence that will be used to initiate many more new investigations and support ongoing cases. It was also an opportunity for countries to share experiences, exchange knowledge and acquire new detection strategies, ultimately enabling them to better navigate this complex criminal landscape.

The operation, led by INTERPOL, was supported by Europol, META, STOP THE TRAFFIK, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and financed by Global Affairs Canada and the OSCE.

Participating countries:

Brazil, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, Spain, United Kingdom, Venezuela

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – An INTERPOL operation targeting many of the most dangerous fugitives in Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe concluded with the arrest of 58 ‘high-risk criminals’ and the location of 28 more.

Working from a list of more than 150 cases regarding individuals wanted for violent and organized crime charges, the international task force shared information and followed up on investigative leads between July and December.

The fugitives, some of whom had been wanted for up to 15 years, were all subject to INTERPOL Red Notices – an international wanted persons alert that helps arrest thousands of the world’s most dangerous criminals each year.

The operation brought together investigators from 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean, as well as four countries in Europe.

Among those arrested were an Argentine man wanted for sexual abuse of a minor, an alleged Ecuadorian money launderer and one of Spain’s most wanted fugitives. 

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said:

“This stunning result demonstrates the very real impact of international police cooperation. Bringing police together across borders – even just for a week – can crack open cases, put criminals behind bars and make our communities safer.”

List of murderers, rapists and money launderers

Prior to the operation, INTERPOL’s Fugitive Investigative Support unit worked with participating countries to establish a list of priority targets, selecting fugitives that had committed violent crimes such as rape or murder, or those linked to organized crime.

To date, 15 of those arrested were wanted for murder, while 14 were accused of drug trafficking and 18 of crimes against children.

Twenty-three fugitives were arrested in Europe, with 13 arrests taking place in Spain alone.

An additional 28 fugitives were located by the task force, with authorities continuing to exchange information and work towards their arrest.

The arrests included:

• Andres M., an Ecuadorian accused of raping a minor, arrested by Italian authorities in Rome.
• Claudio Marcelo C., an Argentine National, arrested in Quilmes on a Red Notice issued on behalf of Spain for the alleged sexual abuse of a minor.
• Domingos Manuel, accused of raping a minor and listed among Spain’s most wanted fugitives, arrested in Brazil.
• Alan P., wanted by Ecuadorian authorities for money laundering, arrested in Barcelona, Spain.
• David E. G., wanted by Brazil and arrested by Colombian authorities after allegedly killing his girlfriend in the presence of her eight-month-old daughter. The child was left in a cot next to her mother’s body and was discovered several days later in a malnourished state.

The operation is part of INTERPOL’s Support to El PACCTO 2.0 project, which is funded by the European Union and works to strengthen a permanent network of fugitive investigators across Latin America, the Caribbean and Europe.

The project facilitates joint fugitive investigations through increased interregional police cooperation and standardized information exchange.

The first phase of INTERPOL’s El PACCTO project resulted in 150 arrests and positive locations over five years, from 2018-2022.

The 86 arrests and positive locations produced under the EL PACCTO 2.0 project represent the highest ever amount for a single operation in either phase.

The following countries participated in the EL PACCTO 2.0 operation: Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, France, Italy, Jamaica, Panama, Peru, Portugal and Spain.

LYON, France – INTERPOL is calling for a shift in language to combat online relationship and investment frauds, advocating for the term ‘romance baiting’ to replace the widely used but stigmatizing ‘pig butchering’. 

The term comes from fraudsters referring to their victims as ‘pigs’ – those they gradually ‘fatten up’ by luring them into a fake romance or friendship before ‘butchering’ them by convincing them to invest, often in fake cryptocurrency schemes.

Once victims invest significant sums of money, they are manipulated further or abruptly cut off, often leaving them with devastating financial losses as well as psychological harm.

INTERPOL argues that the term ‘pig butchering’ dehumanizes and shames victims of such frauds, deterring people from coming forward to seek help and provide information to the authorities.

In contrast, the term ‘romance baiting’ – which is already used by some law enforcement agencies and online safety experts – acknowledges the sophisticated tactics and emotional manipulation used by fraudsters to build trust with their victims. It places the spotlight squarely where it belongs: on the actions of the perpetrators, rather than those of the victims.

INTERPOL Acting Executive Director of Police Services Cyril Gout said:

“Words matter. We’ve seen this in the areas of violent sexual offences, domestic abuse, and online child exploitation. We need to recognize that our words also matter to the victims of fraud. 

“It’s time to change our language to prioritize respect and empathy for the victims, and to hold fraudsters accountable for their crimes.”

Dr Elisabeth Carter, Associate Professor of Criminology and Forensic Linguist, Kingston University London, said:

“Academic research clearly shows the links between the tactics of fraudsters and of perpetrators of domestic abuse and coercive control. It is imperative that we do not adopt the terminology of these criminals but instead use terms that assist public protection and support victim reporting.”

INTERPOL’s call to action on abandoning the term ‘pig butchering’ is part of its ongoing Think Twice campaign, which raises awareness about online safety and vigilance when interacting online. 

The awareness campaign includes a series of short videos highlighting five rising online threats: ransomware attacks, malware attacks, phishing, generative AI frauds and romance baiting. 

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Authorities in Paraguay have arrested 26 individuals, identified two criminal networks and 12 companies suspected of illegal deforestation and the trafficking of native tree species.

Operation Panthera Onca (14-19 October 2024) focused on the tri-border region where Argentina, Brazil, and Paraguay converge. The region’s strategic location and economic activity make it a key hotspot for both legal commerce and illicit networks.

The operation, led by Paraguay and coordinated by INTERPOL, involved targeted checks and inspections at land borders, surveillance of waterways and aerial monitoring of forests by helicopter and satellite. Some 100 officers and 14 different agencies took part in the two-week effort, ensuring seamless coordination between law enforcement and regulatory authorities.

A total of 28 different criminal offences were detected during the operation. Officials also seized 1,000 logs and 250 posts of quebracho wood (Schinopsis balansae), prized for its density and high tannin content.

Additionally, the subject of an INTERPOL Red Notice for fraud was arrested and extradited to Brazil. Another man was returned to Brazil to serve a 15-year prison sentence for drug and arms trafficking.

Kat Henn, INTERPOL’s Assistant Director of Environmental Security said:

“Illegal deforestation encompasses a broad spectrum of criminal activities, from document fraud to money laundering and corruption. This operation highlights the urgent need for continued multi-agency and sustained cross-border cooperation to tackle the criminal networks devastating our environment for profit.”

Building long-term capacity to fight forestry crime

As part of the preparatory phase, INTERPOL organized case coordination meetings between the three participating countries to share satellite imagery and intelligence on high-value targets, as well as known hotspots, trafficking routes, data on timber shipments and suspected links with other countries and regions.

The operation was also preceded by a joint INTERPOL-UNODC mentoring session on timber sampling and identification for 40 of the Paraguayan officers involved in the operational deployment. Specialized instructors from Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay trained frontline officers, enhancing their skills to better detect and respond to forestry-related crimes in the field.

Operation Panthera Onca was delivered under the framework of project LEAP, funded by Norway’s International Climate and Forests Initiative (NICFI), with additional support from the US Forest Service.

LYON, France – A global operation involving law enforcement from 40 countries, territories and regions has ended with the arrest of over 5,500 financial crime suspects and the seizure of more than USD 400 million in virtual assets and government-backed currencies.

The five-month Operation HAECHI V (July – November 2024) targeted seven types of cyber-enabled frauds: voice phishing, romance scams, online sextortion, investment fraud, illegal online gambling, business email compromise fraud and e-commerce fraud.

As part of the operation, Korean authorities, in tandem with authorities in Beijing successfully dismantled a sprawling voice phishing syndicate responsible for financial losses totaling 1,511 billion KRW (USD 1.1 billion) and affecting over 1,900 victims. The organization’s sophisticated modus operandi included masquerading as law enforcement officials and using counterfeit identification. The operation led to the arrest of at least 27 members of the organized criminal group, with 19 individuals subsequently indicted.

INTERPOL also issued a Purple Notice during Operation HAECHI V to warn countries about an emerging cryptocurrency fraud practice involving stablecoin. Member countries were alerted to the “USDT Token Approval Scam” which allows fraudsters to access and control victims’ cryptocurrency wallets. The two-step approach first lures in victims using romance baiting techniques, instructing them to buy popular Tether stablecoins (USDT Tokens) via a legitimate platform. Once the scammers have gained their trust, the victims are provided with a phishing link claiming to allow them to set up their investment account. In reality, by clicking they authorize full access to the scammers, who can then transfer funds out of their wallet without the victim’s knowledge.

INTERPOL Secretary General Valdecy Urquiza said:

“The effects of cyber-enabled crime can be devastating – people losing their life savings, businesses crippled, and trust in digital and financial systems undermined.
“The borderless nature of cybercrime means international police cooperation is essential, and the success of this operation supported by INTERPOL shows what results can be achieved when countries work together. It’s only through united efforts that we can make the real and digital worlds safer.”

LEE Jun Hyeong, Head of Korea’s INTERPOL National Central Bureau in Seoul said:

“Colleagues here in Korea and across police forces worldwide have demonstrated outstanding dedication and professionalism during Operation HAECHI V. Our efforts not only brought criminals to justice but also achieved significant progress in intercepting and recovering illicit funds. We will continue to contribute to ensuring a swift and effective response to cyber-enabled financial crimes.”

Now in its fifth year, HAECHI V built on previous successes, almost doubling the number of cases solved (8,309) and tripling the number of virtual asset service provider (VASP) accounts blocked (1,023) compared to 2023.

I-GRIP helps stop fraud fast

In parallel with the operation, financial crime specialists from INTERPOL worked with police investigators and financial institutions in over 80 countries to strengthen use of INTERPOL’s Global Rapid Intervention of Payments (I-GRIP). This stop-payment mechanism helps countries work together to rapidly intercept stolen funds and played an instrumental part in Operation HAECHI V.
In one major I-GRIP-enabled win, the Singapore Police Force used the tool to rapidly request assistance from authorities in Timor Leste when a commodity firm in Singapore fell victim to a business email compromise fraud. The firm was tricked into transferring USD 42.3 million to a fake supplier’s bank account in Timor Leste, where authorities were able to intercept USD 39.3 million in the bank account. A total of seven suspects were arrested and further investigations also led to the recovery of an additional USD 2.6 million, as well as the discovery that part of the illicit funds had already been transferred from Timor Leste to Indonesia. Further investigations by the three jurisdictions are being coordinated by INTERPOL and steps are being taken to return the stolen funds to the victim in Singapore.
In Guernsey, United Kingdom, an I-GRIP awareness session led directly to a significant breakthrough. Immediately after the session, the Guernsey Financial Intelligence Unit worked with UK authorities to submit an I-GRIP request to Portugal seeking to intercept over GBP 2 million (USD 2.5 million) in funds arising from business email compromise fraud. Rapid communication with Portuguese police authorities via I-GRIP meant the money was intercepted and subsequently returned to the victim in full.

Note to editors:

HAECHI operations are supported financially by Korea.

HAECHI V participating countries, territories and regions:  Albania, Argentina, Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, Canada, Cayman Islands (UK), China, France, Ghana, Hong Kong (China), India, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Liechtenstein, Macao (China), Malaysia, Maldives, Mauritius, Nigeria, Pakistan, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Seychelles, Singapore, Slovenia,  Spain, Sweden, Thailand, Timor Leste, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States, Viet Nam.

UNITED NATIONS, New York – In an address to the UN General Assembly, INTERPOL’s Special Representative to the United Nations, Roraima Andriani, has underscored the Organization’s commitment to combatting crimes against women and to pursuing justice on their behalf. 

Speaking on the UN International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, she highlighted INTERPOL’s efforts to dismantle the networks that profit from crimes such as human trafficking, sexual and other types of exploitation which disproportionately affect women and girls.

Special Representative Andriani said:

“Violence against women takes many forms – physical, emotional, financial, and increasingly, digital. Reporting abuse demands extraordinary courage, and many women struggle to take that step. We have a duty to support those who do, ensuring their safety, protection, and recovery.

INTERPOL’s Special Representative shared the story of Rita Roberts, a young woman whose body was found in Belgium in 1992. She had been violently murdered and remained unidentified for 31 years.

Thanks to INTERPOL’s Identify Me campaign, an international public appeal for information led to a tip from the United Kingdom that restored the victim’s identity, giving her family answers and renewing hope for justice.

Identify Me aims to identify and return unknown deceased women to their families, highlighting the issue of missing and murdered women and girls who are disproportionately represented amongst unidentified deceased persons.

According to the UN, one in three women worldwide has experienced physical or sexual violence in their lifetime.

INTERPOL’s work to help protect vulnerable communities worldwide – particularly in the areas of human trafficking and sexual exploitation – directly supports the UN’s 2030 Sustainable Development Goals by addressing violence against women and girls.

Its activities promoting global policing goals, law enforcement cooperation, and victim-centered investigations are driven by a gender equality perspective.