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Russian citizen detained in Netherlands at US request, attorney says

According to the lawyer, Dubnikov was denied entry to Mexico in early November and was sent to Amsterdam where he was detained

NEW YORK, November 13. /TASS/. Russian citizen Denis Dubnikov has been detained in the Netherlands at the US request in relation to the accusations of money laundering for cybercriminals, his attorney Arkady Bukh told TASS on Friday.

According to the lawyer, Dubnikov was denied entry to Mexico in early November and was sent to Amsterdam where he was detained. "Essentially, it was a capture," the lawyer explained, noting that the paperwork for the detention was most likely prepared during his client’s flight from Mexico to the Netherlands. According to the attorney, the defense is fighting Dubnikov’s extradition to the US but doesn't exclude that it may happen since the Netherlands "has almost 100%-track record on extraditions."

"The accusations [of US authorities] are related to money laundering in the interests of cybercriminals," the lawyer noted. According to him, his client may face up to 20 years in jail in the US if found guilty. The attorney emphasized that the defense would insist that Dubnikov "knew nothing, did not know where the money came from and acted in full compliance with the Russian law."

The Wall Street Journal reported earlier that Dubnikov had been detained in Amsterdam at the request of the US Department of Justice. According to the newspaper, the American authorities accuse him of money laundering for the so-called Ryuk group of cybercriminals and receiving a remuneration of $400,000 in bitcoins. The newspaper claims that this group may be behind a series of ransomware attacks on the US healthcare system in 2020 when it allegedly extorted millions of dollars from its victims.

In October 2020, the FBI warned of cyberattacks on the US healthcare system with the use of ransomware. According to the agency, the criminals used viruses for data theft and the disruption of healthcare services.

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