FBI Announces Largest Crypto Seizure Ever During Global Crackdown On Human Trafficking Scam Network
The Federal Bureau of Investigation has dismantled a massive international scam network tied to human trafficking operations, arresting hundreds of suspects, freeing thousands of victims, and seizing what officials describe as the largest cryptocurrency haul in history.
According to the FBI, the operation targeted so-called “scam compounds” operating across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. These heavily guarded facilities allegedly housed trafficked workers forced to carry out online romance scams and fake cryptocurrency investment schemes targeting victims around the world, including Americans.
Authorities said more than 2,000 trafficking victims were rescued during the coordinated operation.
The crackdown centered heavily on Cambodia-based Prince Holding Group, while additional compounds were dismantled in Dubai, Myanmar, and Thailand.
In total, investigators seized more than 127,000 bitcoin from nine scam compounds — a haul valued at over $8 billion.
Federal officials said the seizure marks the largest cryptocurrency confiscation tied to human trafficking and cybercrime ever recorded.
Law enforcement agencies in Dubai arrested 275 individuals connected to the operation, with six suspects expected to be extradited to the United States to face federal charges.
Kash Patel said the crackdown sends a direct warning to international cybercriminals targeting Americans.
“If you target Americans, we will find you, disrupt your network, and bring every available tool of the federal government down on you,” Patel said.
The FBI also announced the takedown of an armed militia group in Myanmar known as the “Democratic Karen Benevolent Army,” which officials said maintained connections to Chinese organized crime operations involved in the scam network.
Authorities seized thousands of smartphones, computers, and communications devices during raids in Thailand, severely damaging the scammers’ operational infrastructure.
The multinational effort involved cooperation between the FBI, Royal Thai Police, the Burmese military, Dubai law enforcement, and Chinese investigators.
Officials also revealed that thousands of Starlink terminals operating in Myanmar were disabled during the operation. The satellite systems were allegedly being used by criminal groups to coordinate scam activity and communications.
The FBI’s 2025 Internet Crime Report estimates Americans lost roughly $21 billion to cybercrime last year alone, with artificial intelligence scams and cryptocurrency fraud accounting for some of the largest losses.
Federal authorities say the global nature of the internet and cryptocurrency markets has made these criminal networks increasingly difficult to track, but the latest operation demonstrates growing international coordination against online fraud syndicates.