INTERPOL Operation Recovers Approximately $440 Million in Global Crackdown
Published
- Massive recovery: Operation HAECHI VI, spanning across 40 countries, recovered $439 million in illicit funds and assets.
- Global cooperation: The INTERPOL operation led to the blocking of over 68,000 bank accounts.
- Targeted crimes: The effort focused on seven types of cyber-enabled financial crimes, including investment fraud, romance scams, and money laundering.
An initiative named Operation HAECHI VI has resulted in the recovery of $342 million in government-backed currencies and an additional $97 million in physical and virtual assets, bringing together law enforcement from 40 countries and territories to dismantle international criminal networks.
A massive global financial crime operation coordinated by INTERPOL ran from April to August 2025.
Scope and Impact of the Operation
Operation HAECHI VI targeted seven specific types of cyber-enabled financial crimes: voice phishing, romance scams, online sextortion, investment fraud, money laundering linked to illegal online gambling, business email compromise (BEC), and e-commerce fraud.
The coordinated effort successfully disrupted extensive criminal activities, leading to the blocking of more than 68,000 bank accounts and the freezing of nearly 400 cryptocurrency wallets suspected of holding illicit proceeds. Approximately $16 million was recovered directly from these crypto wallets.
“While many people believe that funds lost to fraud and scams are often irretrievable, the outcomes of HAECHI operations demonstrate that recovery is indeed possible,” said Theos Badege, Director pro tempore of INTERPOL’s Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre.
“As one of INTERPOL’s flagship financial crime operations, HAECHI is a prime example of how global cooperation can protect communities and safeguard financial systems.”
International Successes and Mechanisms
The operation highlighted the effectiveness of international law enforcement cooperation. In one notable case, Portuguese authorities dismantled a large syndicate that was illegally diverting social security funds, arresting 45 suspects and recovering stolen funds.
In another, the Royal Thai Police seized $6.6 million from a sophisticated BEC scam targeting a Japanese corporation.
A key tool utilized during the operation was INTERPOL’s Global Rapid Intervention of Payments (I-GRIP) system. This stop-payment mechanism enabled swift communication between member countries to intercept fraudulent transactions.
The success of Operation HAECHI VI highlights the crucial role of coordinated global action in combating the evolving landscape of financial crime.
This month, the U.S. Treasury cracked down on Southeast Asian cyber scams exploiting forced labor, and Microsoft disrupted the RaccoonO365 Phishing-as-a-Service operation, seizing 338 domains.
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