The hacker allegedly responsible for spreading the ransomware is 25 years old
Ukrainian police arrested two ransomware operators in late September, according to a press release published by Europol on October 4.
One of them was a 25-year-old hacker who spread malware on victims’ computers, while the other was responsible for laundering illegal money.
The arrest was made possible by a large-scale investigation by French, American and Ukrainian law enforcement agencies.
While there is some speculation that the arrested individuals may be part of the notorious REvil gang, Europol has not released the names of the ransom companies involved. The press release states that they were responsible for a large number of high-profile attacks against European and American companies.
Over the course of seven property searches, authorities confiscated $1.3 million worth of cryptocurrency, $375,000 worth of cash, and luxury cars.
Last month, the Biden administration blacklisted the Suex exchange for allowing ransomware gang members to launder money. This was the first time that the United States imposed sanctions on a cryptocurrency trading platform.