An international operation carried out by Sharjah Police resulted in 33 people from 12 countries being accused of being involved with cyber fraud, digital wallet theft, money laundering and violent assaults.
Police in the emirate say the suspects, who were arrested, are members of an organised criminal network who targeted individuals and companies through cyberattacks, stolen data, cryptocurrency transactions and physical intimidation. The suspects were arrested in the UAE and other countries.
“What distinguished this gang was that it did not rely on a single type of criminal activity,” said Lieut Gen Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, commander-in-chief of Sharjah Police, speaking at a press conference on Thursday.
The Digital Crime Combat Department in Sharjah Police "uncovered the highly complex and concealed infrastructure of the organisation, whose members had made the deepest reaches of cyberspace a home for their activities", he said.
The suspects were accused of hiding their activities behind sophisticated layers of encryptment, moving through closed networks.
In public, they "cultivated an image of wealth, traveling between world capitals and displaying a lavish lifestyle that concealed a framework managed secretly, and they appeared to be legitimate businesspeople and investors, while their illegal activities extended across countries".
“What has been achieved in this case is the result of integrated institutional work, continues security efforts, and close cooperation and coordination with federal, local and international authorities," said Lieut Gen bin Amer.
"These efforts led to the dismantling of these networks and groups, the arrest of their members, and the thwarting of their plans.
"This confirms the efficiency of the UAE's national security system and its ability to handle various cases, regardless of their complexity or whether they extend beyond its geographical borders, and to keep pace with security challenges efficiently and competently.”
The results of the security operation, called End of Battle, were not limited to arresting those involved and stopping their criminal activities but also included protecting interests and assets and limiting potential economic and security repercussions, he added.
The suspects are accused to have been operating as a network of four separate gangs, each specialising in one area.
The first group carried out cyber attacks and stole customer information and databases.
The second specialised in laundering money through virtual assets and other financial channels, while the third used social engineering to manipulate victims and steal digital wallets.
The fourth group was responsible for violent physical assaults, allegedly targeting victims to force them to disclose the passcodes to their digital wallets.
There were more than 30 companies and institutions targeted by the criminal network, he said, with the operation securing assets of more than Dh65 billion. There was more than Dh200 million seized in cash in the operation, which saw more than 3,000 digital wallets being audited and verified.
Anwar Al Harmoudi, Attorney General of Sharjah, said the investigation "revealed a cross-border criminal organisation with integrated criminal roles, beginning with seizing victims’ funds through fraud and hacking".
The suspects were accused of converting ill-gotten gains into property and other investments to give the appearance of legitimacy.