The detention of a Russian citizen suspected of major cybercrimes by Thai law enforcement agencies at the request of the US has become the center of international discussions. According to official data, it is possible that the 35-year-old Russian person carried out a number of major cyberattacks on the systems of US and European government agencies. The Thai side has begun the process of extraditing him to the US.
According to Yegor Ivanov, a representative of the Russian Consulate General in Phuket, Moscow is trying to obtain official permission to provide consular assistance to the detained citizen. Although the identity of the Russian has not been officially disclosed, local and international media are making a number of assumptions about this person.
According to a statement by Thai cyberpolice, the suspect was detained on November 6 during a special operation conducted in cooperation with FBI agents on the island of Phuket. He arrived in the country only a few days ago - on October 30th - and was staying at a hotel in the Talang district. During the search, several laptops, smartphones, and wallets containing cryptocurrency belonging to the hacker were discovered and confiscated.
According to the case materials, more than 14 million baht (about $432,000) have been frozen in the Russian's cryptocurrency accounts. Investigators believe that this money could be income from cyber fraud.
Although the accused's name has not been disclosed, the media reported that there is only one Russian at the FBI base who is wanted for cybercrimes of this age and this level - Senior Lieutenant Alexey Lukashev, born in the Murmansk region and associated with military unit 26165 of the Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU) of Russia.
According to reports, a hacker group known as "Fancy Bear" or "APT28," mentioned in many international cyberattacks, operates within this military unit. Their names have also been repeatedly mentioned in investigations related to interference in the 2016 US presidential election, access to Democratic Party servers, disclosure of Hillary Clinton's headquarters correspondence, and cyberattacks related to French President Emmanuel Macron's campaign.
In the FBI documents, Lukashev is listed as one of the 12 individuals indicted as accused in these cases.
This seizure in Thailand opened a new stage in international cybersecurity issues. As the investigation continues, everyone is interested in how the diplomatic processes between the US, Thailand, and Russia will develop.
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