Ragnar Locker Ransomware: Key Developer Behind Bars in Major Raid
As a result of an international operation spearheaded by Europol, one of the largest syndicates involved in the dissemination of ransomware was dismantled.
“The ‘key target’ of this malicious ransomware strain was arrested in Paris, France, on 16 October, and his home in Czechia was searched. Five suspects were interviewed in Spain and Latvia in the following days,” Europol said.
“At the end of the action week, the main perpetrator, suspected of being a developer of the Ragnar group, has been brought in front of the examining magistrates of the Paris Judicial Court.”
The arrests made by the Spanish Civil Guard were part of an extensive operation encompassing 11 countries, aiming to neutralize the Ragnar Locker group, implicated in numerous cyber-attacks on critical global infrastructures.
Besides the detentions in Spain, another suspect was apprehended in Latvia. Throughout the operation, the syndicate’s infrastructure for malware distribution in the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden was eradicated. Moreover, in Sweden, a website linked to data leaks via the Tor network was shut down. The architects behind the Ragnar Locker ransomware were detained in the Czech Republic, with numerous searches also conducted across Ukraine.
The investigation was led by the French Gendarmerie, collaborating with law enforcement agencies from countries including the Czech Republic, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, and the USA. During these operations, Spain’s Civil Guard also seized various digital assets, such as Bitcoin (BTC), Litecoin (LTC), and Binance Coin (BNB).
Earlier, international law enforcement agencies had coordinated an operation to block the leak site of the Ragnar Locker extortionist group, with participation from Europol, the FBI, Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office, and various other organizations.
Utilizing its distinctive ransomware, the Ragnar Locker group had been linked to assaults on significant infrastructural entities, including a Portuguese airline and an Israeli hospital.
