Russian hacking suspect wished by the FBI arrested on Thai resort island : NPR

[ad_1] <img src="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2672x2000+0+0/resize/1100/quality/50/format/jpeg/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F54%2Fa7%2F47208c1c43e7b773e4d9212c164d%2Fap25324393390633.jpg" data-template="https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims3/default/strip/false/crop/2672x2000+0+0/resize/{width}/quality/{quality}/format/{format}/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F54%2Fa7%2F47208c1c43e7b773e4d9212c164d%2Fap25324393390633.jpg" class="img" alt="A 35-year-old suspected Russian hacker, identified in Russian media as Denis Obrezko, right, back to camera, with cyber police after he was arrested in Phuket, Thailand on Nov. 6. 2025. (Thailand’s Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau via AP)" fetchpriority="high"/> A 35-year-old suspected Russian hacker, recognized in Russian media as Denis Obrezko, proper, again to digicam, with cyber police after he was arrested in Phuket, Thailand on Nov. 6. 2025. (Thailand's Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau through AP) AP/Thailand's Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau cover caption

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AP/Thailand's Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau BANGKOK — Police have arrested a suspected Russian hacker on the Thai resort island of Phuket who was wished by the FBI on allegations he was behind cyberattacks on U.S. and European authorities companies, officers mentioned.

The 35-year-old, who entered Thailand on Oct. 30 at Phuket Airport, was taken into custody earlier this month at his lodge and is now being held pending doable extradition, Thai police mentioned.

The suspect's identify was not launched however Russian state-run information company Russia Right this moment recognized him as Denis Obrezko, a local of Stavropol. It reported that his kinfolk confirmed the Nov. 6 arrest and had been planning to combat his extradition to the USA.

In an e-mail Thursday, the U.S. Division of Justice refused to touch upon the doable extradition or give different particulars. The U.S. State Division and American officers in Thailand additionally refused to remark.

The Russian Overseas Ministry and the Russian embassy in Thailand additionally didn't reply to requests for remark, however Russia's consul normal in Phuket, Yegor Ivanov, informed Russian state information company Tass that the consulate had "obtained notification of the arrest of a Russian citizen on expenses of committing an info expertise crime."

"He was arrested on November 6 and transferred to Bangkok that very same day," Ivanov mentioned, with out offering additional particulars.

Ilya Ilyin, head of the consular part of the Russian embassy in Thailand, informed Tass on Monday that Russian diplomats had visited the suspect in jail in Bangkok.

"Embassy employees carried out a consular go to to the Russian citizen detained on the request of the USA," Ilyin mentioned, including that the embassy was arranging for him to have the ability to meet along with his kinfolk.

Thailand's Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau mentioned in a Nov. 12 assertion that it was an FBI tip that the "world-class hacker" was touring to Thailand that led to his arrest in Phuket on a world warrant.

Within the raid on his lodge, police seized laptop computer computer systems, cell phones, and digital wallets, the police's assertion mentioned, including that FBI officers had been available for the arrest.

A number of media retailers reported that Aleksey Lukashev, a distinct 35-year-old Russian hacking suspect wished by the FBI who has ties to Russian army intelligence, had been arrested in Phuket the next day.

Thai police mentioned, nonetheless, there had solely been one arrest and the U.S. Division of Justice informed the AP that Lukashev "stays a wished fugitive."