Latvian police bust European cybercrime ring and arrest seven suspects, Europol says

Published on 17/10/2025 - 16:55 GMT+2

Latvian constabulary person busted a awesome net fraud web that has scammed thousands of victims crossed Europe.

Police arrested 7 suspects, nan EU's rule enforcement agency Europol said connected Friday.

To dismantle nan criminal ring, rule enforcement investigators from Austria, Estonia and Latvia, successful business pinch nan EU agencies Europol and Eurojust, teamed up.

The probe culminated successful an cognition that took spot connected 10 October.

The detained suspects are believed to beryllium responsible for much than 1,700 individual cyberfraud cases successful Austria and 1,500 successful Latvia.

They are accused of having scammed victims retired of astir €5 million, of which €4.5 cardinal were successful Austria and €420,000 successful Latvia.

As portion of nan operation, which was dubbed SIMCARTEL, constabulary seized 1,200 SIM container devices and 40,000 progressive SIM cards, Europol said.

"Other offences facilitated by this criminal work see fraud, extortion, migrant smuggling and nan distribution of kid intersexual maltreatment material," Europol wrote successful a statement.

In footage released by authorities, Latvia's State Police Counterterrorism Unit OMEGA could beryllium seen smashing nan doors of a building during nan takedown operation.