Qilin ransomware suspect arrested in Japan, sent to Germany
A man believed to be part of the Qilin ransomware operation has been arrested in Japan and extradited to Germany, where prosecutors want him for an attack on a logistics firm.
The suspect is a 28-year-old Russian national. Japanese authorities detained him in Osaka in May. According to reports, he was transferred to German custody on October 2.
German investigators consider him a core member of the gang, not a peripheral affiliate. The arrest is one of the more notable law enforcement actions against a major ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) brand this year.
The German case
The extradition request relates to an intrusion at a logistics company in September 2024. The attackers broke into the firm's network, encrypted data on its systems and then demanded payment. The company was extorted out of more than $160,000, paid in cryptocurrency.