The Ministry of Interior has confirmed the continuation of Operation Confrontation Ghost with participation from 30 countries, two international organisations and 13 partners from the private and technology sectors, according to a statement reported by the Emirates News Agency. The operation focuses on emerging fraud schemes that exploit artificial intelligence as well as online sextortion and financial fraud conducted over digital platforms. It facilitates real-time intelligence sharing among law enforcement agencies while monitoring evolving criminal trends and applying specialised expertise to address threats promptly. Compliance with data protection standards remains a core element of the initiative as it seeks to strengthen collective responses to sophisticated cross-border crimes.
Lt. Colonel Saeed Khalfan Al Kaabi, Director of the International Cooperation Department at the Ministry of Interior, stated that cooperation between law enforcement agencies and private sector partners helps monitor, detect and prevent fraud. He noted that the cross-border nature of these crimes requires effective and rapid coordination among the relevant entities. Al Kaabi emphasised the value of such partnerships in building a more responsive framework against evolving digital threats that increasingly rely on advanced technologies. The ministry’s approach integrates contributions from both governmental and commercial participants to enhance overall effectiveness.
The UAE supports broader international efforts to combat fraud through its membership in the Global Anti-Scam Alliance, which according to the Ministry of Interior brings together more than 90 countries along with a network of partners from the technology and financial services sectors. The alliance works to promote the exchange of expertise while identifying the latest fraud methods and the technologies used to confront them. This framework allows participating nations to share insights on emerging risks and coordinate actions that disrupt criminal networks operating across jurisdictions. Al Kaabi highlighted how such alliances contribute to faster identification of scam patterns that exploit digital vulnerabilities.
A related 2024 international effort against the encrypted Ghost communication platform used by criminal networks resulted in 51 arrests across Australia, Ireland, Canada and Italy, according to Europol figures. That operation also prevented multiple threats to life, dismantled a drug laboratory in Australia and led to seizures of drugs, weapons and more than one million euros in cash. The current continuation of Operation Confrontation Ghost builds on similar principles of multilateral collaboration to address both fraud and organised crime facilitated by secure communication tools. Such precedents demonstrate the scale of resources required to disrupt these activities effectively.
Al Kaabi stressed the UAE’s commitment to strengthening cooperation and partnerships with relevant entities and international partners. He pointed to improvements in response times and enhanced coordination in efforts to combat fraud and cross-border financial crimes as key outcomes of the operation. The Ministry of Interior continues to position the country as an active contributor to global security initiatives aimed at protecting individuals and economies from digital threats. Participation from private technology firms adds specialised capabilities that complement law enforcement expertise in this domain.
The operation’s structure enables participating countries and organisations to maintain ongoing monitoring of fraud trends while ensuring that all activities adhere to established legal and privacy requirements. Private sector involvement from 13 technology and industry partners provides access to tools and data that accelerate threat detection without compromising operational security. The Ministry of Interior has indicated that this model of engagement has proven effective in prior phases of the initiative. Continued expansion of the participant base reflects growing recognition of the need for unified action against these increasingly complex criminal enterprises.
