Sharjah Police dismantles complex, money-laundering network

Sharjah Police have dismantled a complex cross-border network that had four separate gangs carry out a range of crimes, including money laundering, cyber-hacking and extortion.

Operation 'End of Battle' was run by Sharjah Police, in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior. 

It led to the arrest of 33 suspects of 12 different nationalities, including key leaders within the criminal network, and the seizure of over AED200 million. 

Officers also secured assets valued at more than AED 65 billion, and rigorously audited more than 3,000 digital wallets. 

The operation helped protect over 30 companies and organisations worldwide, Sharjah Police added in a statement on social media.

Sharjah Police said it was a 15-year-old boy's access to large sums of money through his digital wallet that first raised an alarm.

Further investigations led them to a complex network that was operating in closed digital networks to evade security tracking.

Investigations revealed that each gang specialised in a specific area. One gang carried out hacking and data theft, while another specialised in money laundering through virtual assets. The third engaged in social engineering and theft of digital wallets, while the fourth used force and intimidation to target people with substantial digital assets.