45,000 malicious IP addresses taken down, 94 suspects arrested

Sinisa Markovic, Senior Staff Writer, Help Net Security March 16, 2026 Share 45,000 malicious IP addresses taken down, 94 suspects arrested An international law enforcement operation has taken down more than 45,000 malicious IP addresses and servers linked to phishing, malware, and ransomware activity. The action was carried out as part of Operation Synergia III, an investigation that ran from July 18, 2025 to January 31, 2026. According to INTERPOL, the operation resulted in 94 arrests, while 110 additional suspects remain under investigation. Authorities also seized 212 electronic devices and servers linked to the criminal networks. Police in Macau, China identified more than 33,000 fraudulent websites tied to fake casino platforms and spoofed banking or government portals designed to capture personal and financial data. Police in Togo arrested 10 members of a group accused of hacking social media accounts and running scams such as romance fraud and sextortion. In Bangladesh, authorities arrested 40 suspects and seized 134 electronic devices linked to several cybercrime schemes, including loan and job scams, identity theft, and credit card fraud. “Cybercrime in 2026 is more sophisticated and destructive than ever before, but Operation Synergia III stands as a powerful testament to what global cooperation can achieve. INTERPOL remains at the forefront of this fight, uniting law enforcement agencies and private sector experts to dismantle criminal networks, disrupt emerging threats and protect victims around the world,” Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate, said. The operation also involved private sector partners, including Group-IB, Trend Micro, and S2W. More about cybercrime Group-IB INTERPOL law enforcement S2W scams Trend Micro Share