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Global Effort Disrupts Major Cybercrime Network

Operation Synergia II, a significant international law enforcement initiative backed by the private cybersecurity sector, has successfully dismantled a vast cybercrime network operating between Hong Kong and Estonia, as reported by Interpol this week.

Launched in April, Operation Synergia II brought together law enforcement agencies and cybersecurity experts from notable firms such as Group-IB, Trend Micro, Kaspersky, and Team Cymru. The collaboration aimed to track and target numerous servers involved in sophisticated cybercrimes including phishing, information theft, and ransomware attacks. To date, Interpol has identified 30,000 malicious IP addresses and has successfully taken down 22,000 of these addresses along with 59 servers.

Law enforcement agencies from various countries contributed their resources for ground operations, which included carrying out house searches and seizing electronic devices that were believed to support the cybercrime activities. This concerted effort has led to the arrest of 41 individuals, with an additional 65 persons currently under investigation, according to Interpol.

In action across several countries, significant achievements were reported. Police in Hong Kong took offline 1,037 servers, while in Mongolia, 21 house searches were conducted, allowing authorities to identify 93 individuals suspected of involvement in cybercriminal activities. Additionally, authorities in Macau shut down 291 servers, and in Madagascar, police apprehended 11 individuals associated with the cyber infrastructure, seizing multiple electronic devices. In Estonia, more than 80GB of server data was confiscated and is currently under analysis by Interpol.

“The global nature of cybercrime necessitates a worldwide response, which is reflected in the collaboration from member countries during Operation Synergia II,” stated Neal Jetton, Interpol’s director of the Cybercrime Directorate. “Together, we have not only dismantled harmful infrastructures but have also safeguarded hundreds of thousands from becoming victims of cybercrime.”

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