Europol coordinates EUR 50m fraud call centre bust in Austria and Albania; Swiss Black Axe arrests; HAFNIUM contractor extradited from Italy

Europol coordinated an operation in late April 2026 in which Austrian and Albanian authorities dismantled call centres linked to an EUR 50 million online fraud case, conducting searches and seizures across Europe. The operation targeted organised fraud networks using call centre infrastructure to conduct investment scams and other fraud against European victims. Seized cash and IT infrastructure connect victim reports, payment trails, operator accounts and communications evidence across jurisdictions. Separately, a Europol-linked operation resulted in the arrest of ten suspected Black Axe members across several Swiss cantons, including the alleged regional head for Southern Europe, following coordinated searches targeting cyber-enabled fraud including romance scams and money laundering. Also confirmed in the same reporting cycle: US prosecutors announced the extradition from Italy to Houston of Xu Zewei, a suspected HAFNIUM-linked state-sponsored contractor, over alleged intrusions and COVID-19 research targeting between 2020 and 2021. Court documents identify Ministry of State Security direction and employment at Shanghai Powerock.

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