An international operation codenamed "First Light 2026" has become one of the largest in recent years. During coordinated actions in 97 countries and territories, police arrested 5,811 people and seized illegal assets worth $293 million. Particular attention was drawn to a case in Thailand: the crypto wallet of one suspect, a 20-year-old man, processed over $122.5 million in 10 months.
The operation took place from January 15 to April 30, 2026. Its main goal was to curb fraud using social engineering methods and related money laundering. A total of over 142,000 victims were identified worldwide.
Cryptocurrency trail in investigations
A key case was the scheme in Thailand. Police arrested two individuals involved in a money laundering network linked to "romance" scams. The funds were funneled into various cryptocurrencies. To cover their tracks, criminals actively used cross-chain swaps. The investigation showed that the crypto wallet of one of the suspects processed transactions exceeding $122.5 million.
Another incident was recorded in Palau. Authorities deported 22 people who worked in two fraudulent centers located in hotels. According to the investigation, the suspects used cryptocurrency and illegal gambling sites to target victims from other countries. They operated a range of online fraud schemes.
Scale of the operation and other cases
Beyond crypto schemes, the operation covered a wide spectrum of crimes. A total of 152,808 cases were analyzed, 31,014 bank accounts were blocked, and 23,715 cases were solved.
Notably, a case in Eswatini (Swaziland) saw police arrest 82 people. Authorities seized 240 electronic devices, foreign currency, and an entire organization disguised as a Brazilian police station with fake uniforms and equipment. Posing as Brazil's federal police, the scammers convinced victims to transfer funds "for safekeeping."
In other countries, Interpol's emergency payment blocking mechanism, called I-GRIP, was activated. With its help, authorities in Singapore and Oman blocked an illegal transfer of $6.6 million related to business email compromise.
According to Tomonobu Kaya, Director of Interpol's Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre, social engineering fraud remains a serious threat. He emphasized that criminal syndicates exploit human psychology, and no country can feel safe without joint countermeasures.
Cryptalist Analysis: A turnover of $122.5 million through a single wallet in 10 months is a stark indicator of how large-scale "romance" scams have become. The cross-chain swaps used by criminals complicate tracking but do not make it impossible. This operation sends a powerful signal to all market participants: law enforcement is actively mastering blockchain analytics tools, and anonymity on the network is becoming increasingly illusory.