Turkish-Iranian national arrested: Wanted over cyberattacks that allegedly caused $3.4 billion in damage to the United States
The stolen data, as well as access to compromised university accounts, were used for the benefit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian users, including universities based in Iran, the Police Directorate said
Officers of the Montenegrin Police Directorate, in cooperation with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), have located and arrested in Kotor a high-profile international fugitive identified as A. B. (39), a dual Turkish-Iranian national wanted by the United States in connection with organized cyberattacks and identity theft schemes that have allegedly caused an estimated $3.4 billion in damages since 2013.
The suspect, classified as a high-profile target in the fields of cybercrime and organized crime, is wanted to secure his presence in criminal proceedings before the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, where he faces multiple criminal charges.
- He has been charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, computer hacking, and aggravated identity theft. According to the indictment, since 2013 he acted as an associate of a legal entity based in Iran, carrying out large-scale cyberattacks against U.S. infrastructure, including more than 150 universities across the United States, causing damages estimated at more than US$3.4 billion - the Police Directorate said yesterday in a statement.
According to the statement, the stolen data, together with access to compromised university accounts, were used for the benefit of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian users, including universities based in Iran.
- The successful operation carried out by the FAST Team for International Fugitives of NCB Interpol Podgorica further demonstrates the excellent cooperation between NCB Interpol Podgorica and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Over the past three years, this cooperation has resulted in the location and arrest in Montenegro of seven individuals wanted by the FBI and U.S. judicial authorities. All of them were located and apprehended within a very short period thanks to the precise exchange of intelligence - the statement added.
Within the legally prescribed deadline, A. B. will be brought before an investigating judge of the High Court in Podgorica for further proceedings related to his extradition to the competent authorities of the United States.