All news with #law enforcement action tag

Dutch Teenagers Arrested Over Alleged Pro-Russian Spying

🔎 Two 17-year-olds in the Netherlands were arrested after allegedly being recruited via Telegram by pro‑Russian hackers to map Wi‑Fi networks near government targets. Reports say the youths walked areas of The Hague close to Europol, Eurojust and several embassies while using a Wi‑Fi sniffer; the Canadian embassy was reportedly targeted. The domestic intelligence service tipped off police, who carried out raids and seized evidence. One teenager remains in custody while the other has been electronically tagged and placed under house arrest as the probe continues.

UK Police Seize £5.5B in Bitcoin Linked to Fraud Scheme

💰 British authorities have seized £5.5 billion (about $7.39 billion) in cryptocurrency — approximately 61,000 Bitcoin — from the London home of Zhimin Qian (aka Yadi Zhang), who pleaded guilty to acquiring and possessing criminal property. The Metropolitan Police say the seizure, uncovered after a probe opened in 2018, is believed to be the largest such confiscation worldwide. Qian is accused of running a large-scale fraud in China from 2014–2017 that targeted more than 128,000 mostly older victims and converted proceeds into Bitcoin before fleeing to the U.K. A co-conspirator, Jian Wen, was previously jailed and ordered to repay millions.

UK Convicts 'Bitcoin Queen' in £5.5B Cryptocurrency Seizure

🚨 The Metropolitan Police secured a conviction in what is believed to be the world's largest cryptocurrency seizure after Zhimin Qian (aka Yadi Zhang) pleaded guilty to acquiring and possessing criminal property under the Proceeds of Crime Act. Investigators say Qian ran a multibillion-yuan fraud in China that targeted over 128,000 victims and raised roughly 40 billion yuan before converting proceeds to Bitcoin. The Met seized 61,000 BTC, now valued at approximately £5.5 billion, following a cross-border probe and cooperation with Chinese authorities. An associate involved in laundering attempts was previously sentenced for their role.

Dutch Teens Arrested Over Suspected Foreign Espionage

🔍 Two 17-year-old boys in the Netherlands have been arrested on suspicion of espionage after Dutch media reported they were contacted via Telegram by a pro‑Russian hacker, a connection the National Public Prosecution Service has declined to confirm. One suspect was reportedly seen near sensitive buildings in The Hague, including Europol and the Canadian embassy, carrying a Wi‑Fi sniffer. Police seized electronic equipment during a home search; one teen is on house arrest and the other in pre‑trial detention. Prosecutors say the case is linked to foreign interference and are keeping details closed while the inquiry continues.

Dutch teens arrested for alleged espionage near Europol

🔍 Two Dutch 17-year-olds allegedly used a WiFi sniffer to spy near Europol, Eurojust, and the Canadian embassy in The Hague. They were reportedly recruited over Telegram and arrested after a tip from the national intelligence service, the AIVD. Europol says its systems show no signs of compromise. The suspects will remain in custody for at least two weeks while investigators probe the case.

Threat Modeling Your Digital Life Under Authoritarianism

🔒 The article argues that personal threat modeling must adapt as governments increasingly combine their extensive administrative records with corporate surveillance data. It details what kinds of government-held data exist, how firms augment those records, and the distinct dangers of targeted versus mass surveillance. Practical mitigations are discussed—encryption, scrubbing accounts, burner devices—and the piece stresses that every defensive choice is a trade-off tied to individual goals.

Interpol Operation Dismantles Large African Scam Rings

🛡️ Interpol-led Operation Contender 3.0 swept through 14 African countries between 28 July and 11 August 2025, targeting romance scams and sextortion networks and resulting in 260 arrests. Law enforcement, aided by private firms Group-IB and Trend Micro, seized 1,235 electronic devices and took down 81 cybercrime infrastructures. Investigations in Ghana, Senegal, Côte d’Ivoire and Angola identified 1,463 victims and estimated losses near $2.8 million.

JLR Begins Phased Restart After Major Cyber-Attack

🔁 JLR has begun a controlled, phased restart of digital and operational systems after the cyber-attack that halted production in early September. The company has increased IT processing capacity for invoicing and restored its financial wholesale system, allowing it to clear payment backlogs and resume sales and vehicle registrations. The Global Parts Logistics Centre is also returning to full operation as recovery work continues with support from the UK National Cyber Security Centre and law enforcement.

NCA Arrests Man Linked to HardBit Ransomware Disruption

🔒 British investigators arrested a man in his forties in West Sussex in connection with a suspected ransomware outbreak that disrupted flights across Europe. The National Crime Agency said the suspect was released on conditional bail and the probe remains at an early stage. Security researchers have linked the incident to the HardBit variant, which affected ARINC vMUSE systems and forced airlines to revert to paper processes amid repeated reinfections.

Interpol-led Operation Seizes $439M From Cybercrime

🕵️‍♂️ In a five-month international campaign, Operation HAECHI VI led by Interpol and partner agencies recovered more than $439 million in cash and cryptocurrency tied to cyber-enabled financial crimes. Investigators from 40 countries across five continents targeted a broad range of scams — including voice phishing, investment fraud, BEC, sextortion and romance scams — freezing 400 crypto wallets and blocking over 68,000 bank accounts. The action included 45 arrests in Portugal and multimillion-dollar recoveries in Thailand, building on prior HAECHI phases that netted hundreds of millions and thousands of arrests.

UK Arrests Suspect After RTX MUSE Ransomware Hits Airports

🛫 The UK's National Crime Agency arrested a man in his forties in West Sussex on suspicion of Computer Misuse Act offences linked to a ransomware attack that disrupted airports across Europe. RTX Corporation confirmed the incident affected its Collins Aerospace MUSE passenger processing software, first detected on September 19. The suspect has been released on conditional bail while the probe, supported by the South East ROCU and other agencies, remains in its early stages. Affected customers shifted to backup and manual processes while RTX and external cybersecurity experts work to contain and remediate the impact.

US Secret Service Disrupts Massive SIM Farm Network

📵 The U.S. Secret Service says it disrupted a large network of SIM farms near New York City that officials warn could have disabled cellular service during the U.N. General Assembly. Agents seized more than 300 SIM servers and roughly 100,000 SIM cards across sites in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Authorities say the equipment could have texted the entire U.S. population within minutes, launched DDoS attacks, and interfered with emergency communications. The agency attributed the operation to nation-state actors working with organised crime, while specific locations and perpetrators remain undisclosed.

Boyd Gaming Reports Cyber Incident Exposing Employee Data

🔒 Boyd Gaming Corporation disclosed a cybersecurity incident in an SEC 8-K filing, saying an unauthorized third party accessed its internal IT systems and removed certain data. The company said the breach involved employee information and a limited number of other individuals, though it did not specify the data types or number affected. Boyd said operations were not impacted and it is working with cybersecurity experts and federal law enforcement while notifying regulators.

Hoppegarten IT outage continues after August cyberattack

🔒 The municipality of Hoppegarten in Brandenburg is still recovering from a hacker attack that forced its IT systems to be shut down on August 10. As of September 22, remediation remains ongoing, with central services such as email, telephone, and citizen services restored. Communication with subordinate institutions, including schools and daycare centers, remains disrupted. Authorities say the State Criminal Police Office is investigating a suspected attempted data encryption, possibly tied to an extortion attempt.

Cell Tower Hacking Network Dismantled Near UN Event

🔒 The US Secret Service has seized and dismantled a network of electronic devices across the New York tristate area that could be used to disrupt cellular service ahead of the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. Authorities recovered 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards, equipment capable of enabling DoS attacks, disabling towers and facilitating anonymous encrypted communications. The operation was led by the agency’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, which says early analysis identified contacts between individuals tied to the network and known nation-state threat actors; the investigation remains ongoing with multiple federal and local partners.

European Police Bust €100m Cryptocurrency Fraud Ring

🔍 A Eurojust-coordinated joint action day led to the arrest of five suspects, including the alleged mastermind of a cryptocurrency investment fraud that reportedly seized €100m from victims across 23 countries. Authorities say the multi-year scheme, active since at least 2018, used professionally designed websites to promise high returns and then demanded additional fees to process withdrawals before sites went offline. Europol provided operational and analytical support while the joint investigation team helped coordinate cross-border activity.

Boyd Gaming Reports Data Breach After Cyberattack, SEC Filing

🔒 Boyd Gaming Corporation disclosed it suffered a cyberattack that resulted in unauthorized access to its IT systems and the removal of certain data, including employee information and data for a limited number of other individuals. The company said it engaged external cybersecurity experts and notified law enforcement, and that it is notifying impacted individuals and regulators as required. Boyd Gaming reported operations were not affected, does not expect a material adverse financial impact, and expects its cybersecurity insurance to cover related costs.

Eurojust Arrests Five Over €100M Cryptocurrency Scam

🛑 Eurojust coordinated the arrest of five suspects tied to an elaborate online investment fraud that stole more than €100 million from over 100 victims across France, Germany, Italy and Spain. Searches and asset freezes were carried out in Spain, Portugal, Italy, Romania and Bulgaria, and investigators say funds were laundered via Lithuanian bank accounts. Victims were charged extra withdrawal fees before the platform disappeared.

US Secret Service Seizes 300 SIM Servers, 100,000 Cards

🚨 The U.S. Secret Service announced it dismantled a network of more than 300 co-located SIM servers and roughly 100,000 SIM cards across the New York tri-state area ahead of the United Nations General Assembly. The devices, concentrated within a 35-mile radius of the UN gathering, were used to issue anonymous threats to senior U.S. officials and could be weaponized to disrupt telecommunications or enable encrypted communications. The agency's Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit is leading the investigation and said early evidence shows cellular links between nation-state actors and individuals known to federal law enforcement.

European police dismantle crypto fraud ring, €100M loss

🚨 Five suspects were arrested in a cross-border crackdown on a cryptocurrency investment fraud ring that stole over €100 million from more than 100 victims. The operation, coordinated by Eurojust and supported by Europol, involved investigative teams from Spain, Portugal, Bulgaria, Italy, Lithuania and Romania and included searches and asset freezes. The scam, active since at least 2018, lured investors with promises of high returns and routed funds to bank accounts in Lithuania; victims were later asked to pay recovery fees before platforms went offline.