UAE-Led Operation Against AI-Enabled Fraud Yields 960 Arrests in 30 Countries
Law enforcement from 30 countries, INTERPOL and 13 private companies took part in Operation Confrontation Ghost, led by the UAE Ministry of Interior, which resulted in more than 960 arrests. According to the ministry, the operation identified more than USD 39 billion in funds and cryptocurrencies linked to scam activity.
- The UAE Ministry of Interior led Operation Confrontation Ghost with law enforcement from 30 countries, INTERPOL, GASA and 13 private partners.
- The operation ran from 1 July to 30 September 2026 and led to more than 960 arrests and raids on 29 fraud centres.
- More than USD 39 billion in funds and cryptocurrencies linked to scams was identified, with recovery efforts under way.
- Targets were AI-enabled fraud, digital financial fraud and technology-facilitated sextortion.
- Results were presented at UNTOC COP13 in Vienna, where UNODC commended the operation.
What the operation targeted and achieved
Operation Confrontation Ghost ran from 1 July to 30 September 2026. According to the UAE Ministry of Interior, it focused on three of the fastest-growing threats in the digital space: AI-enabled fraud, digital financial fraud and technology-facilitated sextortion, a crime that often targets children and teenagers.
The ministry reports the following results over the three months:
- More than 15,500 victims and more than 3,500 suspects identified
- More than 960 arrests and raids on 29 fraud centres
- Over 570 social media accounts shut down that were used to move money and manipulate victims
- More than 4,126 bank accounts linked to fraud identified
- More than 9,000 pieces of intelligence and information exchanged between law enforcement agencies
The more than USD 39 billion in identified funds and cryptocurrencies is the figure participants are now working to recover, according to the announcement. Participants also mapped distinct criminal methods to build a shared picture of how scam networks recruit and deceive victims and launder money across borders.
Who took part
The operation was described as first of its kind. Besides law enforcement from 30 countries across five continents, INTERPOL and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA) took part, along with 13 private sector partners from the technology and financial sectors.
The countries include the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Canada, Norway, Japan, the United Kingdom, Brazil, Singapore, China, France, Kenya and the Republic of Korea, among others. The private partners are Bayut, Crypto.com, Dubizzle, Feedzai, Ghostly Solutions, Group-IB, Huawei, Mastercard, Meiya Pico, Meta, Outseer, TikTok and Trend Micro.
Colonel Dana Humaid Al Marzouqi, Director General of the International Affairs Bureau at the UAE Ministry of Interior, said the operation "transformed international shared intelligence into coordinated operational impact."
Presented at the UN conference in Vienna
The results were unveiled at the Thirteenth Session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime (UNTOC COP13) in Vienna. The UAE hosted a side event titled 'From Cooperation to Action: How Law Enforcement, International Organizations and the Private Sector Can Jointly Counter Organized Fraud'.
The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) commended the operation. Its Executive Director, Monica Juma, said: "I commend the United Arab Emirates for using their convening power and making this operation possible." The side event focused on turning operational experience into sustained international cooperation, stronger public-private partnerships and greater readiness against evolving fraud methods, including those powered by artificial intelligence.
What it means
The announcement presents the operation as a model for pairing police work with the data and technical capabilities of technology and financial companies. The ministry says networks have long used borders as a shield, and that shared intelligence and coordinated action were meant to remove that advantage.
The UAE Ministry of Interior reaffirmed its commitment to practical, inclusive cooperation against transnational digital fraud. The source gives no details on how much of the USD 39 billion has been recovered so far, only that participants are working towards recovery.
