The Simcartel operation led to the arrest of several individuals and the confiscation of 1,200 SIM-box devices, 40,000 SIM cards, and millions of euros in damages.

The Simcartel operation, conducted in Latvia starting October 10, targeted a sophisticated criminal network that provided illegal services globally. Authorities carried out 26 searches, resulting in the arrest of several individuals. As part of the operation, approximately 1,200 SIM-box devices, 40,000 SIM cards, five servers, hundreds of thousands of additional SIM cards, substantial amounts of cash, and four luxury vehicles were confiscated.

The SIM-box devices allowed the rerouting of international calls through local networks, bypassing the fees of legitimate operators. Europol highlighted that the network enabled criminals to commit various cybercrimes, creating over 49 million online accounts in the names of individuals from more than 80 countries. It was involved in 1,700 fraud cases in Austria and 1,500 in Latvia, with estimated financial losses in the millions of euros, including 4.5 million euros in Austria and 420,000 euros in Latvia. The network facilitated various frauds, including online scams, 'mother-son' frauds, and fake websites.