UAE-Led Operation Ghost Confrontation Identifies $39 Billion in Fraud-Linked Assets Across 30 Nations

A three-month international law enforcement crackdown led by the UAE Ministry of Interior identified over $39 billion in fraud-linked assets and thwarted more than 123 million online fraud attempts worldwide. The operation engaged 30 countries—including China and the UAE—alongside international agencies and 13 major technology and financial corporations. Joint enforcement measures led to more than 960 arrests, the freezing of 4,126 bank accounts, and raids on 29 fraud hubs.

Published October 22, 2026 Source: Emirates 24|7

English Original
中文 Chinese version
العربية Automatic translation

Issuing authority: UAE Ministry of Interior
Jurisdiction: United Arab Emirates
Publication date: October 21, 2026
Stage: Final rule
Official document: Operation Ghost Confrontation Enforcement Results
Official source: news.google.com

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Operation Ghost Confrontation, an international law enforcement initiative led by the UAE Ministry of Interior from July to September 2026, identified more than $39 billion in funds and digital assets connected to fraudulent operations and thwarted over 123.71 million online fraud attempts globally, according to Emirates 24|7 and UAE authorities. The operational results were announced on the sidelines of the 13th session of the Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Convention against Transnational Organized Crime in Vienna.

The operation brought together police and judicial authorities from 30 countries, including the UAE, China, Canada, Japan, Singapore, the United Kingdom, and France, in collaboration with INTERPOL and the Global Anti-Scam Alliance (GASA). Thirteen private-sector firms across technology and financial services also took part, including Huawei, TikTok, Mastercard, Meta, Trend Micro, and Crypto.com.

Operational actions resulted in the arrest of more than 960 suspects, the identification of over 3,500 persons of interest and 15,500 victims, and the exchange of more than 9,000 intelligence items across participating jurisdictions. Law enforcement teams also blocked 4,126 bank accounts, shut down more than 570 fraudulent social media accounts, and conducted targeted raids on 29 fraud centres.

The Ministry of Interior indicated that the operation prioritised fast-growing forms of cybercrime, including artificial intelligence-enabled scams, digital platform financial fraud, and online extortion. In parallel, tokenisation technologies utilised during the operation secured more than four billion financial transactions per month to protect sensitive user data and mitigate fraud risks.

UAE Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Sheikh Saif bin Zayed Al Nahyan stated that the operation's outcomes demonstrate the essential role of cross-border partnerships in addressing transnational crime. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) also commended the initiative and the UAE's coordination of multilateral law enforcement efforts.