Souk Ahras security forces, working in coordination with the local cybercrime unit, dismantled a criminal network involved in electronic fraud and money laundering. Investigators identified the group’s operations as centered around a Facebook page titled 'The Academic Center for Supporting Researchers'. The authorities confirmed the network utilized this digital platform to facilitate its illicit activities. Police moved to shut down the organization following an investigation into the group's financial transactions and online conduct. Officials continue to examine the data recovered from the network to determine the full extent of the fraudulent operations conducted through the page.
Modus Operandi of Fraud
Criminal operations within this network commenced in October 2025. Members of the group targeted students and researchers by offering fake services for preparing and publishing academic articles.
Communication with victims occurred primarily through WhatsApp. The perpetrators requested money transfers to third-party postal accounts to secure payments for their fraudulent academic services. Authorities in Souk Ahras continue to track these financial records to identify all individuals who sent funds to these accounts.
Scale of Criminal Operations
Souk Ahras investigators have identified 35 potential victims of the fraud network. These individuals were targeted through the group's operations involving fake academic services. Authorities are currently reviewing records to confirm the financial impact on each affected person.
Police investigations also revealed that the network managed 419 individuals whose names were potentially used to register phone SIM cards. These cards facilitated the group's communication with victims across various digital platforms. Security forces in the region, including units based in Taoura, are cross-referencing these registrations with the identified illicit activity to determine the scope of the identity misuse. Official reports indicate that the data retrieved during the operation remains under analysis to trace how these names were obtained and utilized by the network.
Legal Consequences for Suspects
The suspects identified by the Souk Ahras security forces were presented to the public prosecutor at the Taoura court following the conclusion of the initial police investigation. Judicial officials reviewed the evidence gathered by the cybercrime unit regarding the network's illicit academic service operations and the misuse of identity data for SIM card registrations. Based on the findings presented to the court, the prosecutor ordered the immediate detention of the individuals involved in the criminal scheme. An imprisonment order was issued against the suspects, mandating their confinement while the judicial process continues. Authorities at the Taoura court confirmed that these legal measures were taken to address the charges of electronic fraud and money laundering tied to the dismantled organization. The suspects remain in custody as investigators finalize the case files for upcoming trial proceedings.
