A five-month joint operation, HAECHI VI, led by Interpol has successfully seized over $439 million in cash and cryptocurrency from cyber-enabled financial crimes, impacting thousands of victims globally. This coordinated effort, which ran from April to August 2025, involved law enforcement agencies from 40 countries across five continents. Its primary goal was to combat a wide spectrum of criminal activities, including voice phishing, romance scams, and various forms of online fraud. The operation also targeted money laundering linked to illicit online gambling and business email compromises, highlighting the intricate and diverse nature of modern financial crime.
Throughout the operation, investigators achieved significant milestones. They successfully seized 400 cryptocurrency wallets and blocked more than 68,000 bank accounts, effectively cutting off financial lifelines for criminal organizations. The operation also led to tangible results on the ground. For instance, in Portugal, 45 suspects were arrested for illegally accessing social security accounts to divert funds intended for vulnerable families. The Royal Thai Police also made a notable seizure of $6.6 million that was transferred by a high-profile Japanese corporation into accounts controlled by a transnational crime group. These successes demonstrate the power of international collaboration in disrupting complex criminal networks.
Theos Badege, the head of Interpol’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, praised Operation HAECHI as a prime example of effective global cooperation. He emphasized how such joint efforts are crucial for protecting communities and safeguarding the global financial system. Badege’s call for more member countries to join these collective efforts underscores Interpol’s commitment to making a meaningful difference in the ongoing fight against cyber-enabled crime. This sentiment highlights the continuous nature of this battle and the need for a unified global front.
This operation is part of a larger, ongoing series of Interpol-led initiatives. In the previous stage, Operation HAECHI V (July-November 2024), law enforcement agencies seized an additional $400 million and arrested over 5,500 suspects. The stage before that, Operation HAECHI IV, resulted in the arrest of more than 3,500 suspects and the seizure of $300 million. The escalating success of these operations demonstrates a growing global capacity to combat financial cybercrime.
In addition to the HAECHI series, Interpol has coordinated other significant joint actions this year. These include operations that successfully disrupted global infostealer malware operations, targeted criminal rings distributing child sexual abuse material, and cracked down on cross-border cybercriminal networks. These ongoing efforts reflect a comprehensive and proactive approach to tackling a wide range of sophisticated cyber threats, showcasing Interpol’s role as a central hub for international law enforcement collaboration.
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