Dubai authorities spearheaded an international operation that dismantled at least nine alleged crypto scam centres and resulted in 276 arrests, targeting the organised infrastructure behind "pig butchering" fraud networks that defrauded Americans of millions of dollars.
Dubai Police Lead Major Raid on Crypto Scam Compounds
30 April 2026 - 17:20 CEST
By Sandmark staff
The coordinated action, announced by the US Department of Justice, involved the FBI, China’s Ministry of Public Security and Thailand’s Royal Thai Police. It formed part of the Homeland Security Task Force initiative. Dubai Police carried out 275 arrests, while Thai authorities detained one suspect. Prosecutors in San Diego charged four named individuals and two fugitives with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy.
How the pig butchering scams operated
Scammers initiated contact via social media or messaging apps, built prolonged trust by posing as friends or romantic partners, and then steered victims toward fake cryptocurrency investment platforms they controlled. Victims were encouraged to increase their investments, often by borrowing from family or taking out loans, before the platforms vanished and funds were laundered through crypto wallets.
The operations functioned like corporate structures, with dedicated staff for recruitment, victim management and financial coordination. FBI investigators identified numerous US victims through the Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3), with losses reaching millions of dollars in schemes tied to these centres alone.
Key defendants, charges
Thet Min Nyi (27, Burmese national), also known as Ko Thet or Pixy, allegedly managed and recruited for Ko Thet Company. Indonesian nationals Wiliang Awang (23, also known as Lincoln and other aliases), Andreas Chandra (29, also known as Jay) and Lisa Mariam (29, also known as multiple aliases) faced charges linked to Sanduo Group and Giant Company. Dubai Police arrested Thet Min Nyi, Chandra and Mariam; Thai authorities detained Awang. Two co-conspirators remain fugitives.
International cooperation, momentum
"Fraudsters who target Americans from overseas cannot operate with impunity, no matter where in the world they reside," said Assistant Attorney General A. Tysen Duva of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. "The charges and arrests announced today reflect an international consensus that scam centres are unwelcome everywhere."
US Attorney Adam Gordon for the Southern District of California added: "These scammers thought they were safe half a world away. But their world has changed. Global crime now faces global justice."
FBI officials echoed the resolve. This raid builds on the Justice Department’s Scam Centre Strike Force and Operation Level Up, which has notified nearly 9,000 potential victims and prevented an estimated $562mn in losses as of April 2026.
Human cost, future implications
Many Southeast Asian scam compounds are often associated with human trafficking, where workers face coercion. No specific crypto wallet seizures or victim restitution timelines from this operation have been disclosed publicly. However, authorities continue to analyze records for potential recoveries.
