Maldives Records Highest Scam Recovery Rate in Regional Anti-Fraud Operation
Photo: MPS
The Maldives Police Service achieved a 21 percent scam recovery rate during Operation Frontier+, the highest among seven Asian countries participating in the month-long effort to combat cross-border fraud.
During Operation Frontier+, the Maldives recorded the highest recovery rate among seven Asian countries, reclaiming 21% of reported scam losses.https://t.co/sYCNHnOekR
— Maldives Police (@PoliceMv) June 15, 2025advertisement
advertisement
advertisement
Held from 28 April to 28 May, the operation focused on intercepting scam transactions and retrieving stolen funds. It marked the inaugural mission under the Frontier+ network, a regional initiative led by Singapore’s Anti-Scam Command.
According to a statement released by the Maldives Police on Sunday, 199 scam cases were reported in the Maldives during the operation, with victims losing approximately MVR 2.91 million. The police recovered MVR 640,000, giving the Maldives the top recovery rate among all countries involved.
The Maldives was represented in the joint operation by Inspector of Police Adam Naveed, head of the Anti-Scam Center, and Inspector Sham Mohamed, lead investigator on scam cases.
Agencies from Singapore, Hong Kong, Malaysia, South Korea, Thailand, Macau, and the Maldives participated in the broader operation. In total, 27,784 officers were deployed across the region, processing thousands of reports and leading to arrests and investigations in several jurisdictions.
By the end of the operation, 1,858 individuals had been arrested—some as young as 14 years—in connection with 9,268 scam cases involving an estimated USD 308 million in losses. Authorities froze 32,607 bank accounts and intercepted fraudulent funds totalling USD 19.4 million.
The initiative concluded with a high-level meeting in Hong Kong on 3 June, followed by a live international press briefing. Officials noted that beyond enforcement actions, Operation Frontier+ improved coordination between countries, facilitated quicker freezing of scam-linked accounts, and strengthened cross-border mechanisms for tracing and recovering stolen money.
Maldives Police highlighted the importance of international cooperation in tackling digital fraud and reaffirmed its commitment to regional partnerships through the Frontier+ network and similar initiatives.
Inspector Naveed noted that the results underscore the value of collective action in the digital age, stating that such operations provide essential tools and collaboration needed to protect citizens and bring perpetrators to justice.
