The UAE Ministry of Interior has arrested a Swedish national wanted under an Interpol Red Notice for money laundering, in a joint operation with Sweden that simultaneously apprehended six other gang members on Swedish soil. The suspect, whose name was not disclosed, had fled Sweden before being tracked down inside the UAE.
Investigators found that the criminal network had moved around 70 million Swedish kronor (Dh26.5 million) over ten months, handling cash proceeds from criminal activity and channelling them to other criminal entities. The network also used cryptocurrencies to transfer and conceal the value of those funds.
The Ministry of Interior said that tracing cryptocurrency transactions and analysing digital evidence helped uncover financial links to other criminal activities, including organised crime and contract killings.
Joint operation yields coordinated arrests
Anders Wiberg, Police Commissioner and Head of the International Division of the Swedish Police Authority, praised the bilateral effort. ‘The close and effective cooperation with the United Arab Emirates was a key factor in achieving the successful outcome of this case, and we express our sincere gratitude to the UAE authorities for their valuable cooperation and support,’ Wiberg said.
Brigadier Abdulaziz Al Ahmad, Director General of the Federal Criminal Police at the Ministry of Interior, said the UAE would continue to track criminal networks and disrupt their financing. ‘In cooperation with its international partners, the UAE will continue to track criminal networks, disrupt their sources of financing, and take legal action against anyone seeking to exploit the country’s territory for criminal activities,’ he said.
Brigadier Al Ahmad has led the ministry’s financial crime work for several years. Ministry records from 2022 show he previously headed the Subcommittee for Investigating Money Laundering Crimes, before being appointed to his current role as Director General.
Interpol Red Notice arrests and UAE’s AML framework
The UAE has been deepening its institutional ties with Interpol. The Ministry of Interior was elected to chair Interpol’s Committee on Governance, according to a ministry announcement, a role that reflects its standing in international law enforcement coordination.
On the legislative side, the UAE enacted Federal Decree-Law No. 10 of 2025 on Countering Money Laundering, Terrorist Financing and Proliferation Financing, replacing an earlier 2018 law. The Emirates News Agency (WAM) reported that the General Secretariat of the National Anti-Money Laundering and Combatting the Financing of Terrorism and Proliferation Financing Committee issued an analytical paper on 10 December 2025 noting the decree’s enactment as part of efforts to strengthen economic security.
The National Committee for Anti-Money Laundering also adopted a National Guide on Financial Intelligence and Money Laundering Investigations, covering updated procedures for tracking and confiscating assets, coordinating among competent authorities, and incorporating virtual assets within the investigative scope. The guide also regulates asset recovery mechanisms.
In April, the committee adopted a set of decisions and initiatives to strengthen institutional integration among relevant entities, aimed at improving the system’s capacity to keep pace with regional and international developments.
Legal proceedings have been initiated against those apprehended in the operation. The implementing regulation for the 2025 law, Cabinet Decision No. 134 of 2025, became effective on 14 December 2025.
