A global law enforcement operation targeting fraud and financial crime has resulted in the arrest of nearly 5,800 people and the seizure of close to $300 million, Interpol announced Wednesday.
The operation, dubbed First Light 2026, ran from January through April and involved police forces from 97 countries. Authorities identified approximately 142,000 victims. Among the cases highlighted, 82 suspects were arrested in Eswatini where a criminal network running illegal online gambling and money laundering was dismantled, and investigators seized a realistic replica of a Brazilian police station complete with counterfeit uniforms.
In Macao, impostors posing as public officials were intercepted before they could collect $372,000 from a targeted victim. The coordinated sweep underscores the growing scale of transnational fraud schemes that exploit psychological manipulation to deceive victims worldwide.