In recent times, the Russian judiciary has taken several steps against cybercriminals and imposed higher penalties. A criminal wanted by the FBI with a bounty on his head is waiting to be charged, while the operators of the Hydra underground market have been in prison for years. The alleged leader of the gang has also been sentenced to life imprisonment.
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Cyber gangster wanted by FBI indicted
Russian authorities briefly arrested a well-known cybercriminal. The public prosecutor’s office has accused Mikhail M., known as “Vazhavka”, of developing the malware. According to Section 273 of the Russian Criminal Code, this can result in a fine or up to four years in prison.
A statement from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office initially said, without naming anyone, that a 32-year-old Russian had been charged. However, Wazawaka confirmed to a relevant Telegram channel that it was the same. He said that he has paid the fine. A significant part of his assets in crypto currencies has been confiscated, but Mikhail E. himself is free on bail until further notice.
There is a reward of up to 10 million dollars on the head of E. in America. The FBI has accused him of playing a key role in the development of the Babuk ransomware and attacking the computers of US police departments, among other things. Russia is also on the US SDN (Specially Designated National) sanctions list.
camp for hydra gang
A Moscow court sentenced Stanislav M., the alleged head of the darknet marketplace “Hydra”, to life imprisonment and a fine of four million rubles. This, among other things, was reported by the newspaper “Kommersant“. The man and 15 of his accomplices were accused of producing and selling drugs as part of an organized criminal group. The sentence is a novelty in Russia: never before has a court there convicted a drug trafficker. Was not sentenced to life imprisonment.
Other members of the gang also faced long periods behind bars: they received prison sentences ranging between 8 and 23 years. Their new home would be a so-called “special colony with a strict regime”, a penal camp with the second highest security level.
The criminal marketplace “Hydra” was shut down two years ago in a concerted effort by international investigators, including Russian prosecutors. It was considered one of the most heavily traded trading hubs for drugs and crypto-money laundering and, according to authorities, generated more than a billion euros in 2020 alone. Compared to these figures, the total turnover of the recently exposed “crimenetwork” of approximately 93 million euros seems almost harmless.
(CKU)
