Operation Ramz: INTERPOL Arrests 201 Cybercriminals in MENA Region
INTERPOL’s Operation Ramz, a coordinated cybercrime effort spanning October 2025 to February 2026, resulted in 201 arrests and identified 382 additional suspects across 13 countries in the Middle East and North Africa. This operation targeted phishing, malware, and cyber scams, identifying 3,867 victims and seizing 53 malicious servers. Cyber News - Erez Dasa highlighted that Palestine was among the participating nations.
This marks INTERPOL’s first large-scale cyber operation in the MENA region, emphasizing cross-border collaboration against sophisticated cyber threats. Neal Jetton, INTERPOL’s Director of Cybercrime, underscored the critical role of international cooperation in dismantling criminal infrastructure and prosecuting perpetrators. The operation facilitated the exchange of nearly 8,000 pieces of intelligence, demonstrating a significant step in regional cyber defense.
The focus on neutralizing malicious infrastructure and tackling widespread scams indicates a proactive stance against common attack vectors. For instance, intelligence from Operation Ramz in Qatar revealed compromised devices whose owners were unknowingly victims, with their systems being used to propagate further attacks. This highlights the pervasive nature of these threats and the often-unseen impact on individual users and their devices.
What This Means For You
- If your organization operates in the MENA region or interacts with entities there, this operation is a stark reminder of the persistent threat landscape. Attackers are exploiting common vectors like phishing and malware, often compromising unsuspecting users to further their campaigns. You need to ensure your defensive posture is robust, focusing on user awareness training, endpoint protection, and proactive threat hunting to identify compromised systems being used as attack infrastructure.
Written by SCW Threat Desk