Marrakech – Morocco participated in a global anti-fraud operation coordinated by INTERPOL that led to the arrest of 5,811 individuals and the interception of $293 million in illicit assets across 97 countries and territories.
Operation First Light 2026 ran from January 15 to April 30 and targeted social engineering scams and associated money laundering activities. Social engineering refers to techniques that exploit a person’s trust to obtain money or confidential information, including business email compromise, sextortion, romance scams, impersonation schemes, and investment fraud.
The operation identified over 142,000 victims globally. Authorities analyzed 152,808 cases, solved 23,715 of them, blocked 31,014 bank accounts, identified 15,606 suspects, and issued 99 INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions.
Several cases stood out for their scale and complexity. In Eswatini, police arrested 82 people and dismantled a criminal network running illegal online gambling, money laundering, and impersonation scams.
Authorities seized 240 electronic devices and a realistic replica of a Brazilian police station, complete with fake uniforms and equipment. The scammers posed as Brazil’s Federal Police via video call, deceiving targets into transferring funds for supposed safekeeping.
In Thailand, two arrests uncovered a money laundering scheme that funneled illicit funds from romance scams into cryptocurrencies. The digital wallet of one suspect, aged 20, had processed more than $122.5 million in just 10 months.
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Authorities in Singapore and Oman blocked a $6.6 million transfer linked to a business email compromise scam targeting a Singapore-based commodity trading firm.
In Macao, China, police intervened during a community outreach campaign to stop a participant from sending nearly $372,000 to fraudsters impersonating public officials. In Palau, 22 individuals were deported for operating two connected scam centers from hotels.
The operation was funded by China’s Ministry of Public Security and supported by three regional policing bodies: ASEANAPOL, GCCPOL, and Europol.
Morocco’s participation follows a broader pattern of deepening cooperation with INTERPOL. Earlier this year, the country took part in Operation Ramz, the first large-scale cybercrime operation coordinated by INTERPOL across the Middle East and North Africa region.
That operation ran from October 2025 to February 2026, bringing together 13 countries and resulting in 201 arrests. Moroccan authorities seized computers, smartphones, and hard drives containing banking data and phishing tools, with three individuals undergoing judicial procedures.
The country’s security profile within INTERPOL has grown steadily in recent years. Morocco hosted the 93rd INTERPOL General Assembly in Marrakech, where Prefect Mohammed Dkhissi was elected vice-president of the organization.
The General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) and Territorial Surveillance (DGST), under Director General Abdellatif Hammouchi, has continued to expand its international security footprint across Europe, the Sahel, and the broader Middle East.
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