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INTERPOL’s Operation Synergia III coordinated law enforcement in 72 countries and territories from 18 July 2025 to 31 January 2026. INTERPOL reported that the operation took down more than 45,000 malicious IP addresses and servers, alongside 94 arrests, 110 people still under investigation, and 212 electronic devices and servers seized. Those are separate measures: the 45,000-plus figure is infrastructure taken down, not arrests or physical equipment seized.
What happened in INTERPOL’s 45,000 IP address takedown?
INTERPOL described the operation as a coordinated effort targeting phishing, malware, and ransomware. Its private-sector partners Group-IB, Trend Micro, and S2W helped track illegal cyber activity and identify malicious servers. INTERPOL credited law enforcement with the operation’s enforcement results; its account does not say the companies independently seized infrastructure.
The figures in INTERPOL’s 13 March 2026 report refer to different outcomes:
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| Reported result | What it means |
|---|---|
| More than 45,000 malicious IP addresses and servers taken down | Infrastructure disrupted in the operation; not a count of arrests or physical devices seized. |
| 94 arrests | People arrested during the operation. |
| 110 people still under investigation | People whose cases remained under investigation; they are not reported as arrested. |
| 212 electronic devices and servers seized | Physical equipment seized, a distinct measure from infrastructure taken down. |
These are results reported by INTERPOL, not a breakdown of how many arrests or seizures were attributable to each partner company.
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How did the reported schemes work?
Macao: fake websites and credential theft
Law enforcement in Macao, China identified more than 33,000 phishing and fraudulent websites, according to INTERPOL. The sites included fake casinos and pages impersonating banks, government bodies, and payment services. The agency said victims lost money through fraudulent account top-ups and had personal and credit-card information stolen. This is a Macao case figure, not the operation-wide count.
Togo: account hacking and social engineering
Police in Togo arrested 10 suspects in a fraud-ring case. INTERPOL reported schemes involving hacked accounts, romance scams, and sextortion. Suspects allegedly impersonated account holders to contact their associates and persuade them to transfer money.
Bangladesh: loan, job, and identity-related fraud
Police in Bangladesh arrested 40 suspects and seized 134 electronic devices in investigations into schemes that included loan and job scams, identity theft, and credit-card fraud.
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What role did the technology companies play?
INTERPOL named Group-IB, Trend Micro, and S2W as private-sector partners. Their reported contribution was helping track illegal cyber activity and identify malicious servers. The release does not name specific consumer products from these companies or establish that any one product would protect an individual from the schemes described.
INTERPOL’s Cybercrime Directorate director Neal Jetton said the operation demonstrated what global cooperation could achieve, with law enforcement agencies and private-sector experts working to disrupt criminal networks and protect victims.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the results do—and do not—show
- The operation’s 72 participating countries and territories indicate its international scope; the report does not provide a country-by-country total for all outcomes.
- “Taken down” describes malicious infrastructure disrupted, while “seized” refers to physical devices and servers taken into custody.
- The 94 arrests and 110 people under investigation have different legal statuses. The latter figure is not an additional arrest count.
- The examples from Macao, Togo, and Bangladesh illustrate reported tactics and local case outcomes; they are not operation-wide totals.
INTERPOL’s official report, published 13 March 2026, is the source for these operation-wide results and examples: 45,000 malicious IP addresses taken down in international cyber operation.
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