Sharjah Police have arrested 33 suspects representing 12 nationalities and dismantled four alleged international criminal networks in a major cybercrime investigation involving AED8.83 billion ($2.4 billion) in suspected money laundering transactions.
The operation, codenamed “END OF THE BATTLE,” also resulted in authorities securing assets valued at more than AED65 billion ($17.7 billion) across more than 30 companies and institutions worldwide, according to Sharjah Police.
Authorities confiscated more than AED200 million ($54.5 million) and subjected over 3,000 digital wallets to auditing and verification as investigators traced alleged criminal activities spanning multiple jurisdictions.
Lieutenant General Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, announced the operation during a media briefing at Sharjah Media City. Officials said the investigation uncovered interconnected networks allegedly involved in hacking, cryptocurrency theft, online fraud, extortion, data trafficking and violent assaults.
Sharjah Police Uncover Four International Criminal Networks
According to Sharjah Police, the Digital Crime Combat Department identified the networks’ concealed infrastructure, including encrypted communications and restricted online platforms allegedly used to coordinate criminal activities across borders.
Investigators attributed different roles to the four networks:
- Cyberattacks and data theft: One network allegedly specialised in hacking systems and stealing sensitive information.
- Money laundering through virtual assets: Another allegedly moved illicit proceeds through cryptocurrency and other digital assets.
- Online scams and digital wallet theft: A third reportedly used social engineering techniques to deceive victims and gain access to digital wallets.
- Violence and intimidation: The fourth allegedly used assaults, threats and other forms of physical coercion against victims and their families to obtain digital wallet access codes.
Police also reported that artificial intelligence tools were used to support phishing and fraud operations. Investigators identified links between the networks and coordinated with domestic and international authorities to arrest suspects, including alleged key figures apprehended abroad and returned to the UAE.
Prosecutors said the networks allegedly generated proceeds through hacking and fraud before transferring the money through bank accounts, digital wallets and international platforms. The funds were then reportedly channelled into property, luxury vehicles, watches and jewellery to conceal their origins.
Officials said the speed and complexity of the transactions made tracing the money difficult, particularly when funds moved across multiple jurisdictions.
Investigation Involved Thousands of Records and Judicial Measures
The scale of the investigation extended beyond digital transactions. Authorities examined more than 10,000 documents and reports and conducted 142 reports and investigation sessions, according to figures released by police.
The case also involved 385 decisions, 478 judicial orders and inspections of 103 electronic devices. Investigators issued 12 search warrants and coordinated 109 requests with the Financial Intelligence Unit, alongside eight international cooperation requests and procedures.
The measures formed part of efforts to trace suspected proceeds, identify the people and entities involved, and secure assets linked to the alleged criminal activity.
Sharjah Cybercrime Operation Seizes Cash and Luxury Assets
The investigation resulted in the seizure of more than AED200 million ($54.5 million), along with luxury goods and other items, according to Sharjah Police.
Authorities reported seizing or placing under restraint:
- 17 luxury cars
- 29 valuable watches and jewellery items
- One residential villa
- Two villas under construction
- Two residential plots of land
- Cold digital wallets
- Counterfeit currency and equipment used for counterfeiting
Narcotic substances were also discovered during searches, police said.
Investigators further subjected more than 3,000 digital wallets to auditing and verification as they examined the movement of funds and potential links to the alleged networks.
The AED65 billion ($17.7 billion) figure represents the value of assets secured or protected across companies and institutions, not the amount of money confiscated. The distinction separates the wider asset-protection measures from the more than AED200 million seized during the investigation.
AI-Assisted Fraud and Cryptocurrency Theft Under Investigation
Brigadier Dr Khalifa Yousif Belhai, Director of the Criminal Investigation Directorate at Sharjah Police, said investigators uncovered a concealed communications hub operating on a social media platform.
The network allegedly used a security code that changed every eight hours to help protect its communications and activities.
Investigators traced a range of suspected offences, including database theft, dark web trading, phishing attacks and cryptocurrency laundering. The inquiry initially identified a juvenile suspect reportedly in possession of a digital wallet containing substantial funds.
Further investigations allegedly revealed connections to international criminal groups and another suspect linked to assault, kidnapping, digital wallet theft and trafficking in compromised data.
Police also said they uncovered an alleged plan to kidnap individuals holding multiple digital wallets. A suspect was arrested before the planned crimes could be carried out, according to authorities.
The wider investigation ultimately led to the arrest of 33 suspects from 12 nationalities. Prosecutors also identified six legal entities in connection with the case.
Sharjah Police Say Operation Protected International Assets
Lieutenant General bin Amer said the investigation had prevented further criminal activity and helped limit potential economic repercussions for digital asset markets.
He credited cooperation between Sharjah Police, the UAE Ministry of Interior, Public Prosecution and international security partners with supporting the operation.
Authorities said the dismantling of the four interconnected networks disrupted their alleged ability to continue cybercrime and financial offences. More than 30 companies and institutions worldwide were covered by the asset-protection measures, with the total value of secured assets exceeding AED65 billion ($17.7 billion).
The case highlights the cross-border nature of alleged financial cybercrime, in which stolen data, cryptocurrency transactions, online fraud and conventional assets can become interconnected. The investigation remains a matter of criminal allegations, and the suspects’ guilt must be determined through the legal process.
