Interpol says it disrupted thousands of cybercrime instances in major operation

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Operation Synergia II hits more IP addresses

The emblem of the International Criminal Police Organization Interpol on a textured blue background.
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  • Interpol has taken down 22,000 crime-linked IP addresses
  • Multiple devices, including servers, phones and laptops were seized
  • The Interpol operation led to the arrest of 41 individuals globally

41 people were arrested as part of the operation, with a further 65 still under investigation for their participation in cyber criminal activity.

Operation Synergia II

The first Operation Synergia, which concluded in February 2024, saw 31 people arrested and 70 others investigated alongside 1,300 malicious IP addresses identified and numerous command-and-control (C2) servers operated by cyber criminals taken down.

Operation Synergia II has significantly improved on these numbers, with the main focus of the crackdown being on phishing networks, infostealing malware, and ransomware.

In China, police in Hong Kong took down 1,037 servers, with a further 291 taken offline in Macau. 21 houses were searched by authorities in Mongolia leading to one server being seized and the identification of 93 individuals with cybercriminal links.

11 devices were seized in Madagascar, and 11 individuals were identified as having links to servers used for malicious purposes. In Estonia, 80GB of data was seized from a server likely used for phishing operations and banking malware.

“The global nature of cybercrime requires a global response which is evident by the support member countries provided to Operation Synergia II,” said Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of the Cybercrime Directorate.

“Together, we’ve not only dismantled malicious infrastructure but also prevented hundreds of thousands of potential victims from falling prey to cybercrime. INTERPOL is proud to bring together a diverse team of member countries to fight this ever-evolving threat and make our world a safer place,” Jetton concluded.

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Benedict Collins
Benedict Collins
Senior Writer, Security

Benedict is a Senior Security Writer at TechRadar Pro, where he has specialized in covering the intersection of geopolitics, cyber-warfare, and business security.

Benedict provides detailed analysis on state-sponsored threat actors, APT groups, and the protection of critical national infrastructure, with his reporting bridging the gap between technical threat intelligence and B2B security strategy.

Benedict holds an MA (Distinction) in Security, Intelligence, and Diplomacy from the University of Buckingham Centre for Security and Intelligence Studies (BUCSIS), with his specialization providing him with a robust academic framework for deconstructing complex international conflicts and intelligence operations, and the ability to translate intricate security data into actionable insights.