Searching for a criminal lawyer Dubai after a cryptocurrency allegation can bring together several different concerns: a UAE investigation, a request from another country, a frozen exchange account or an international police alert. The first task is to identify what has actually happened and which authority is dealing with it. Each issue needs its own assessment.
A useful legal response connects the alleged conduct with the relevant law, preserves the transaction evidence and identifies the next procedural deadline. This guide explains the main questions that arise when cryptocurrency activity and extradition overlap, including the current money laundering framework and the limits of an INTERPOL Red Notice.
The use of cryptocurrency does not describe the offence. Counsel needs to know whether the complaint concerns deception, unauthorised access, misuse of entrusted assets, illicit proceeds or regulated services. Separate what the complainant alleges from what the available records actually establish.
Federal Decree Law No. 34 of 2021 addresses electronic intrusion under Article 2 and electronic fraud under Article 40. Article 30 concerns specified dealings with unlawful funds through electronic systems. Article 41 addresses certain unlicensed public fundraising or investment activities involving electronic currencies and fictitious wallets or companies. The particular statutory elements remain essential; an investment loss should not automatically be labelled a cryptocurrency crime.
For example, ask whether the complaint identifies a false representation, who made it, when it was made and how it influenced the payment. Where account access is disputed, identify the devices, credentials, permissions and instructions relevant to each transfer. These questions help distinguish an allegation against a particular person from a general description of a failed project.
Federal Decree Law No. 10 of 2025 replaced the 2018 money laundering law. Its definitions expressly cover virtual assets and cryptographic technology. Article 2 requires knowledge, or sufficient evidence or indications of knowledge, that funds derive from a predicate offence, together with intentional commission of a listed act. Knowledge may be inferred from factual and objective circumstances. A conviction for the predicate offence is not required.
That wording should not be reduced to automatic liability for everyone who received a transfer. Ask counsel to examine the evidence said to establish knowledge, the purpose of the transaction and the specific act alleged. Preserve legitimate explanations, including contracts, invoices, payment instructions and the commercial reason for receiving or sending funds. For older transactions, ask counsel which version of the law applies to the dates alleged.
Federal Law No. 39 of 2006, amended in 2023, operates alongside applicable treaties and reciprocity. Under Article 7, the conduct ordinarily must be punishable in both states by imprisonment of at least one year or a more severe penalty. A request to enforce a sentence ordinarily requires at least six months remaining. Different offence labels do not prevent dual criminality.
Article 9 contains refusal grounds concerning nationality, jurisdiction, prior proceedings or judgments, limitation and specified risks to the requested person, among other matters. Their conditions and the applicable treaty must be examined before drawing conclusions.
Prepare a comparison between the foreign allegations and the UAE provisions potentially corresponding to them. A lawyer should identify the conduct relied upon, rather than simply matching the word “fraud” in two documents. Where a treaty is relevant, request an explanation of how it affects the particular request.
INTERPOL describes a Red Notice as a request to locate and provisionally arrest a person pending extradition or similar lawful action. It is based on a national warrant or judicial order, but is not itself an international arrest warrant. Each country applies its own law when deciding whether to arrest.
The notice should therefore be examined alongside the underlying foreign proceedings and any UAE measures. Obtain available case references and copies of official communications. Do not treat a forwarded screenshot, an online rumour or a private message claiming to represent an authority as a complete statement of the legal position.
INTERPOL also identifies the Commission for the Control of INTERPOL’s Files as the body that individuals may contact about information concerning them. That enquiry is distinct from obtaining advice about the UAE extradition proceedings and the foreign case.
The cooperation law provides for prosecutorial review and a judicial decision on extradition. The requested person may have a lawyer present when statements are taken. Article 22 sets a 30 day appeal period from the court decision, while Article 24 requires the extradition decision to become final before execution. Applicable treaty provisions still require review.
Ask counsel to prepare a dated list of the decisions received, the issuing authority and the available response. If release, travel restrictions or an undertaking are discussed, obtain an explanation of the precise terms. Do not infer permission to travel from a conversation about a different application.
Before signing any consent or statement, understand its language and consequences. Provide your adviser with the complete foreign case history, including adverse decisions. An incomplete account can prevent counsel from identifying the real procedural issue in time.
Under the 2025 money laundering law, the Financial Intelligence Unit can order temporary freezing of suspected funds held with relevant institutions, including virtual asset service providers. Prosecutors and courts have additional powers concerning assets and travel restrictions. Article 21 also addresses international cooperation and foreign confiscation or provisional measures, subject to applicable law, treaties or reciprocity.
Identify whether an account restriction comes from a provider’s compliance review, a regulatory direction or a judicial measure. Ask for the reference and explanation available through the proper channel. Give counsel documents showing ownership, the source of funds and any legitimate interest affected by the restriction. A challenge to surrender and an application concerning frozen assets should not be treated as the same request.
INTERPOL reported that Operation HAECHI VI, conducted from April to August 2025 across 40 countries and territories, froze close to 400 cryptocurrency wallets and recovered around USD 16 million in suspected illicit profits from cryptocurrency wallets. The UAE participated. These are international operational figures, not UAE-only recoveries, extradition decisions or proof that every restricted wallet contains criminal proceeds.
Cabinet Resolution No. 134 of 2025 supplies the current executive regulations for the money laundering framework. Articles 8 and 9 address customer due diligence and ongoing monitoring. Article 36 requires relevant authorisation for virtual asset service activities and specifies information obligations for transfers, including originator and beneficiary details.
In Dubai, VARA’s remit covers the mainland and free zones except the DIFC. Its public register identifies providers, authorised activities and status. The regulator expressly distinguishes a full licence from an approval in principle, which does not permit the applicant to begin serving clients.
For a disputed transaction, record the provider’s exact legal name and the service used. Keep the applicable customer agreement and licensing information relevant to the transaction date. Do not assume that an overseas group licence answers the question for every company operating under the same brand.
Create a chronology linking dates, transaction references, wallet addresses, exchange statements and communications. Preserve the original records. Ask any technical expert to explain both the basis and limitations of conclusions about who controlled a wallet or authorised a transaction. Avoid editing source files to make the narrative easier to present.
When comparing results for “criminal lawyer Dubai”, ask about experience with UAE extradition procedure, financial investigations and coordination with counsel abroad. If you are seeking the best criminal lawyer in Dubai for your circumstances, examine the proposed work and relevant experience. A ranking phrase alone cannot establish suitability. Agree who will handle urgent applications, foreign documents and technical evidence, with clear reporting and fees.
No. The underlying conduct and applicable legal requirements must be examined. The existence of a complaint does not itself resolve the extradition question.
No. A person sought for prosecution has not necessarily been convicted. INTERPOL distinguishes people sought for prosecution from those wanted to serve an existing sentence.
Provide official case documents, account restrictions, transaction records and the relevant agreements. Add a clear chronology and all known deadlines. Explain what you personally know and identify information received from other people separately.
Provide dates, transaction references, wallet addresses, exchange statements, agreements and complete communications. Explain the account holder, permissions and the commercial purpose said to support each payment. Identify uncertainties about control of a wallet rather than treating an address alone as proof of identity.
Keep the provider’s communications and any regulatory or court references together, and identify the authority behind each measure. Explain what is known about the restriction and the foreign proceedings. Ask counsel which separate applications, deadlines and documents apply to assets, release, travel and surrender.
Dr. Hassan Elhais is a Senior Legal Consultant at Amal Al Rashedi Lawyers and Legal Consultants in Dubai. His work includes advising on criminal law matters involving physical violence, murder, cryptocurrency offences and drug offences. He is a member of the European Criminal Bar Association and the International Bar Association.
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