China confirmed its involvement in the operation that resulted in the arrest of 276 suspects and the closure of nine crime-focused facilities. The initiative might mark a new era of international cooperation to tackle and end pig-butchering scams.
SOHAIB: "Still connected? Still on the VPN?" SOHAIB: "Delete all their databases?" MUNEEB: "Eh, they can recover them...backups, I'm pretty sure." SOHAIB: "Daily backups?" MUNEEB: "Yup." SOHAIB: "What's the plan [then]? We gonna take care of severance or are we gonna do something about..." "Should we retort to whatever they send us by saying we need $25,000 each? Hm?"
"Content shared during emergencies is assessed not only for its accuracy, but also for its potential impact on stability, security, and public perception. What might appear as commentary or documentation can, in such contexts, be interpreted as harmful or unlawful communication."
U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro described the crackdown as a 'new theater of war' against Chinese transnational organized crime, emphasizing the seriousness of the initiative.
The investigation began in November 2025, when police were alerted to a suspected SMS blaster operating in downtown Toronto. Police later determined that the blaster was operating out of a car, which allowed it to move around the city and Greater Toronto Area.
Operation Atlantic is a joint initiative led by the US Secret Service, the UK National Crime Agency, the Ontario Provincial Police, and the Ontario Securities Commission, working with private-sector partners, to identify and contact potential victims and help them recover stolen funds.
