Operation Cyber Protect III
Lyon 19-22 May 2026 – Operation Cyber Protect III combating Cyber-Enabled Human Trafficking
Thirty-four suspicious cases, 18 suspect profiles and 27 potential victims have been identified as law enforcement officers from seven European countries joined forces for a four-day ‘hackathon’ to target the emerging trend of subscription-based content platforms being used to facilitate human trafficking and sexual exploitation.
In a Friday news release, INTERPOL said the hackathon codenamed Operation CyberProtect III ran May 19 – 22.
INTERPOL disclosed that as part of the operation, 14 officers from participating countries worked side by side to detect red flags from websites, social media, messaging apps and subscription platforms.
This format, known as a ‘hackathon’ in law enforcement, describes a focused event during which participants collaborate to seek solutions to a specific policing challenge using digital tools.
Significant results from the operation included the identification of 34 suspicious cases, 18 suspect profiles and 27 potential victims.
The news release reads, “Organized crime networks are increasingly using content subscription services commonly associated with sexually explicit material, to recruit and sexually exploit women, minors and vulnerable adults.
“Victims are lured with promises of income before being funneled into exploitative content production.
“In February 2026, an INTERPOL Purple Notice was published to call attention to this modus operandi, which typically involves the criminal group masquerading as a legitimate modelling agency. Once engaged, they take control of the victim’s account, retaining the majority of the victim’s earnings, while applying escalating psychological pressure and coercion to compel victims to produce increasingly explicit content.”
INTERPOL noted that the paywalled architecture of subscription sites and their coded language, enables traffickers to evade detection, while jurisdictional fragmentation and evidentiary challenges hinder law enforcement responses.
It added that criminal groups also leverage online platforms to market coaching programmes that claim to teach men how to make profit from exploiting women via content subscription platforms.
This emerging threat, it stated, is often referred to as “e-pimping,” describing traffickers who use digital tools to orchestrate exploitation at scale.
Operation CyberProtect III extended beyond generating leads and identified important findings and trends, including: a high prevalence of ads featuring female models from South America, highlighting it as a key region of origin for both real-life and virtual sexual exploitation; recruiters using encrypted messaging platforms to target potential victims, including requests for nude images without age verification; and content producers being bought and sold for significant sums. One messaging group involved in this kind of activity was found to contain up to 28,000 adverts.
Also identified were: use of cryptocurrencies and diamond emojis — which are transferable to virtual currencies — as payment systems. Rates detected were as low as USD 3 for 25 minutes of private video from a content maker; social media platforms being used by e-pimps and managers to exchange their experiences and strategies; the use of AI to generate fake profiles to complement human-led content operations.
The hackathon was co-organized by INTERPOL and the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
Director of Organized and Emerging Crime at INTERPOL, David Caunter said, “By bringing together officers for this collaborative approach, we have uncovered critical intelligence about how content subscription platforms are being weaponized to exploit vulnerable people. Every suspect and victim identification generates immediate investigative leads and strengthens our ability to dismantle these criminal networks and protect those at risk.”
Participating countries included Germany, Netherlands, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and United Kingdom.
