Operation Ramz, the first cybercrime operation of its scale coordinated by INTERPOL in the MENA region, concluded with over 200 arrests and more than 3800 victims identified across the 13 participating countries. Running from October 2025 to February 2026, the operation targeted phishing infrastructure, malware networks, and cyber-enabled fraud schemes, resulting in server seizures and the dissemination of nearly 8000 pieces of intelligence among national authorities.
The operation has received support from the Qatar Ministry of Interior and the CyberSouth+ project, a joint initiative of the European Union and the Council of Europe. The project has facilitated the participation of representatives from all its partner countries in INTERPOL's 15th MENA working group meeting on cybercrime for Heads of Units, where the joint operation was launched.
Operational highlights from CyberSouth+ partner countries include the dismantling of a «phishing-as-a-service» website in Algeria, the arrest of three individuals in Morocco following the seizure of phishing software and banking data, and investigative actions in Jordan that have uncovered a financial fraud scheme linked to a human trafficking network.
Operation Ramz is a concrete illustration of how CyberSouth+’s sustained capacity building activities contribute to equipping the national authorities with the skills, tools, and regional relationships needed to engage in complex cross-border investigations, and ultimately achieve operational outcomes for enhanced criminal justice in cyberspace.
Cybercrime Programme Office of the Council of Europe (C-PROC)