Interpol Operation Synergia III Dismantles Global Cybercrime Network

An international law enforcement operation coordinated by INTERPOL has resulted in 94 arrests and the takedown of over 45,000 malicious IP addresses and servers used in phishing, malware, and ransomware attacks. Operation Synergia III, which ran from July 18, 2025, to January 31, 2026, involved participation from 72 countries and territories, alongside private sector partners like Group-IB, Trend Micro, and S2W.

Operation Synergia III: A Global Effort

Operation Synergia III builds upon previous successful cybercrime takedowns coordinated by INTERPOL in 2023 and 2024. This iteration focused on disrupting a wide range of cybercriminal activities, including fraudulent websites, phishing campaigns, malware distribution, ransomware attacks, romance scams, and credit card fraud schemes [INTERPOL]. In total, 212 electronic devices and servers were seized during the operation [INTERPOL].

Key Findings and Regional Actions

The operation uncovered diverse criminal tactics across multiple regions:

• Macau, China: Law enforcement identified over 33,000 phishing and fraudulent websites, many impersonating casinos, banks, government platforms, and payment services [INTERPOL].
• Togo: Authorities dismantled a fraud ring operating from a residential area, arresting 10 suspects specializing in technical attacks (social media hacking) and social engineering (romance scams, sextortion) [The Register].
• Bangladesh: Police arrested 40 suspects and seized 134 devices linked to loan scams, job scams, identity theft, and credit card fraud [The Register].

Public-Private Collaboration

INTERPOL played a crucial role in transforming data into actionable intelligence, facilitating cross-border collaboration, and providing operational assistance to member countries [INTERPOL]. Private sector partners, including Group-IB, contributed by tracking illegal cyber activities and identifying malicious infrastructure. Group-IB specifically shared information on phishing domains, hosting infrastructure, and malware distribution servers [Group-IB].

“Operation Synergia III demonstrates how close cooperation between law enforcement agencies and private-sector partners can significantly disrupt [cybercriminal] networks,” said Dmitry Volkov, CEO of Group-IB [Group-IB].

The Evolving Cybercrime Landscape

Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate, emphasized the increasing sophistication and destructiveness of cybercrime in 2026, highlighting Operation Synergia III as a demonstration of the power of global cooperation [INTERPOL]. 110 individuals remain under investigation as part of the operation [The Register].