The Federal Bureau of Investigation has conducted the largest seizure of crypto assets in history during an international operation against organized crime networks operating across multiple continents.
This is reported by Finway
- Hundreds of suspects were arrested as part of the global operation against fraudulent structures.
- Law enforcement links the criminal schemes to groups from Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
- Starlink helped block thousands of terminals that were used for fraud in Myanmar.
Details of the Large-Scale International Operation Operation Blackout
During the Operation Blackout special operation, the FBI, along with partners from other countries, seized over $8 billion in digital assets and arrested around 300 suspects. The investigation spanned various countries and regions of the world, with Chen Zhi, the CEO of Prince Holding Group from Cambodia, being a central figure in the case. According to the investigation, over 127,000 BTC were confiscated at the time of Zhi’s arrest, and the total value of the seized assets could exceed $15 billion.
“The FBI dismantled fraud centers and rescued about 2000 victims of human trafficking.”
Criminal networks used a variety of fraudulent tools—from investment schemes to romantic scams and extortion—to steal funds from U.S. citizens. Some operations were linked to the “Karen National Liberation Army” in Myanmar, which is already under U.S. sanctions and recognized as a transnational criminal organization.
The Role of Starlink and International Cooperation
Starlink played an active role in the operation. After receiving information from the FBI, it identified and blocked over 7000 terminals in Myanmar that were used by criminals to organize communication and coordinate fraudulent activities.
The investigation covered several countries. In Dubai, police arrested 275 individuals in cooperation with the FBI, six of whom are planned to be extradited to the U.S. In Thailand, law enforcement seized thousands of smartphones and specialized equipment used by the fraudsters.
According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), in 2025 alone, American citizens filed nearly 72,000 complaints about investment cryptocurrency scams, with total losses exceeding $7.5 billion.
Additionally, the FBI highlighted the success of the Level Up program aimed at identifying potential victims of crypto fraudsters. As part of this initiative, the agency notified 8935 individuals that they were already involved in fraudulent schemes, and more than three-quarters of them were not even aware of it. According to FBI estimates, this has helped prevent additional losses amounting to approximately $562 million.