Sharjah Police arrest 33 in Dh8.825 bn laundering case

Sharjah Police arrested 33 suspects from 12 nationalities and identified Dh8,825,381,741.50 in alleged money laundering, according to an Oct. 15 Gulf News report on a police media briefing.

At the Oct. 15 briefing, officials said authorities seized more than Dh200 million and reviewed more than 3,000 digital wallets. The alleged laundering total is equivalent to about $2.4 billion at the dirham’s dollar peg.

The operation, named “End of the Battle,” was carried out with the UAE Ministry of Interior, Gulf News reported. Authorities said suspects were linked to cyberattacks, digital-wallet theft, online fraud, extortion and assaults, while assets connected to more than 30 companies and institutions worldwide were valued at more than Dh65 billion.

“The results of the security operation were not limited to arresting those involved and stopping their criminal activities,” Lieutenant General Abdullah Mubarak bin Amer, Commander-in-Chief of Sharjah Police, said, according to the report.

Sharjah Attorney General Anwar Al Harmoudi said Public Prosecution inquiries found an international organisation with defined roles in stealing funds, concealing proceeds and converting illicit money into assets and investments. The reported transfers moved through bank accounts, digital wallets, international platforms and intermediary companies.

The case adds to the UAE’s focus on financial-crime enforcement as digital assets become more important to cross-border payments and investment. Virtual assets are digital representations of value, such as crypto tokens, that can be transferred or stored electronically and may be difficult to trace when routed through multiple wallets and platforms.

Officials said investigators reviewed more than 10,000 documents and reports, held 142 investigation sessions, issued 385 decisions and 478 judicial orders, and inspected 103 electronic devices. The case involved 33 suspects, including six legal entities, Gulf News reported.

Major General Omar Ahmed Bu Al Zoud, Director-General of the General Department of Criminal Security and Ports, said the alleged structure comprised four linked groups. One focused on hacking and data theft, another on laundering through virtual assets, a third on social engineering and wallet theft, and a fourth on threats and assaults to force access to digital wallets.

Authorities said seized assets included more than Dh200 million, 17 luxury cars, 29 valuable watches, jewellery, one residential villa, two villas under construction and two residential land plots. Searches also found cold digital wallets, narcotic substances, counterfeit currency and counterfeiting equipment, according to the report.

The allegations remain allegations unless proven through the judicial process. The Gulf News report did not include responses from the suspects or the six legal entities, and it did not give a date for the next court step.