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Founder of The Infraud Organization hacking group arrested in Moscow — source

Three other purported hackers are under a house arrest

© Alexander Scherbak/TASS, archive

MOSCOW, January 22. /TASS/. Russia’s FSB and law enforcement have detained four members of the Infraud Organization hacking group. Its purported founder Andrey Novak is wanted in the US on the accusations of cybercrime. As a source in law enforcement told TASS, Novak was arrested while three other purported hackers are under a house arrest.

"During intelligence-gathering activities, Russian special services with the operational support of the law enforcement and cooperation of the US law enforcement, managed to establish and detain four members of the Infraud Organization hacking group whose main income was the use of stolen credit card data. The purported founder of the criminal group, Andrey Sergeevich Novak, wanted in the US on the accusations of cybercrime, has been arrested for two months, another three members of the group - Kirill Samokutyaev, Konstantin Vladimirovich Bergman and Mark Avramovich Bergman have been detained under a house arrest," the source said.

According to the source, the investigation continues to establish the other members of the international hacking group.

According to an informed source, Russia is not planning to extradite Novak to the US. "Russian legislation prohibits an extradition of its citizens to a foreign state," the source said. That said, if a foreign citizen wanted abroad is among the arrested, that individual will be extradited following the investigation and court proceedings in Russia, the source added.

As reported in February 2018, the US law enforcement detained 13 individuals accused of participation in the criminal scheme that inflicted the damage of at least $530 mln. The detainees were the citizens of the US, Australia, the UK, France, Italy and Serbia. Charges were brought against 36 individuals, including one Russian, Andrey Novak. According to the US Department of Justice, the criminal group was organized by a Ukrainian citizen in 2010.

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