Sharjah Police Arrest 33 in Crypto Crime Raid

Sharjah Police arrested 33 suspects from 12 nationalities in an operation targeting four international cryptocurrency crime networks. Authorities seized assets worth more than AED 200 million, or about $54 million, including luxury vehicles, watches, property and cryptocurrency wallets.

Sharjah Police Commander-in-Chief Lt. Gen. Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer announced the arrests on Oct. 16, 2026. He named the operation “End of the Battle.”

Police allege the networks presented themselves as legitimate investment groups before using stolen data, social engineering, threats and physical violence to take control of victims’ cryptocurrency wallets.

Investigators reported that hackers accessed accounts and databases, while other members sold stolen information on the dark web. Scammers used artificial intelligence tools and social engineering to persuade victims to disclose wallet credentials. Enforcers allegedly threatened victims and, in several countries, their families.

The groups coordinated through a hidden hub on a social media platform and used a security code that changed every eight hours. Police allege that members moved the proceeds through virtual assets and invested them in real estate, luxury vehicles, watches and jewelry.

The investigation began after detectives identified a juvenile suspect who held a cryptocurrency wallet containing large sums. Police alleged that he planned to kidnap people who owned multiple wallets and arrested him before the plan began. His connections led investigators to wider networks. Some suspects were arrested abroad and returned to the United Arab Emirates.

The seized property included 17 luxury vehicles, 29 watches, one completed villa, two villas under construction, two plots of land and cold wallets used to store cryptocurrency offline. Police also reported finding narcotics, counterfeit currency and equipment allegedly used to produce counterfeit money.

Prosecutors allege that the networks laundered about AED 8.83 billion. Police valued the wider operation at more than AED 65 billion, or about $17.7 billion, based on assets secured while protecting more than 30 companies and institutions worldwide. Authorities also audited more than 3,000 cryptocurrency wallets.

The case includes allegations of hacking, robbery, a kidnapping plan, money laundering and organized crime. The investigation covered suspects and assets in several countries.