Swiss arrest alleged Ukrainian cybercriminal hunted by the FBI for a decade

A Ukrainian male desired for over a years by the FBI for a multimillion-dollar hacking plan has actually been jailed in Switzerland and is waiting for extradition to the United States, Swiss authorities verified to CNN Wednesday.

Vyacheslav Penchukov, referred to as “Tank” online, is implicated of being a significant gamer in a racketeering ring that apparently drained pipes countless dollars from the savings account of Americans and other citizenships in the late 2000s and early 2010s.

Penchukov was jailed in the canton of Geneva, Switzerland on October 23, and Swiss authorities “chose to give” his extradition to the United States on Tuesday, Raphael Frei, a representative for the Swiss Federal Department of Justice and Authorities, stated in an e-mail.

It’s a prime example of how the FBI pursues high-value supposed cybercriminals years after their indictment with the assistance of allied nations. It comes as United States police authorities continue to keep track of how the war in Ukraine may open chances to capture supposed cybercriminals running away the dispute.

The racketeering plan apparently included hacking into computer systems to take victims’ savings account login details and after that employing individuals residing in the United States with electrical wiring the cash overseas. The financially rewarding plan triggered a global manhunt that started with FBI representatives taking a trip to Ukraine looking for the males more than a years earlier.

Penchukov can appeal the extradition choice in Swiss court, Frei stated. It was uncertain if Penchukov had a lawyer representing him in Switzerland. The United States Justice Department and FBI decreased to comment.

Independent reporter Brian Krebs initially reported Penchukov’s arrest in Switzerland.

Penchukov is desired in federal court in Nebraska, where a minimum of 2 of other Ukrainian males he apparently teamed up with have actually been prosecuted. United States district attorneys implicate Penchukov of computer system and bank scams, identity theft and racketeering.

Alex Holden, a Ukraine-born cybersecurity expert who tracked Penchukov online, stated a few of Penchukov’s current partners were alarmed by his arrest.

” We lost exposure of him on the very same day he was jailed, and his partners noted his arrest soon after,” stated Holden, creator of IT security company Hold Security. “They are afraid, providing another triumph for the justice system which eliminates a misconception of security for well-known cybercriminals and their partners.”.

The United States departments of state and justice invest greatly into assisting foreign federal governments nab and extradite desired hackers through training programs. FBI representatives went to as Ukraine as early as 2010 as part of their examination into Penchukov and his supposed partners, MIT Innovation Evaluation formerly reported.

While Kyiv and Washington have actually worked carefully on some counter-cybercrime problems, some implicated cybercriminals have actually discovered sanctuary in Ukraine.

Penchukov’s current journey to Switzerland appears to have actually opened a window for United States police.