A Russian native and co-founder of two crypto-exchange firms were recently detained at US authorities’ request after aiding the Ryuk ransomware group launder profits acquired from extorting several US-based organisations.
The alleged aider, known as Denis Dubnikov, was arrested and detained last week when he tried to spend a vacation in a small town in Mexico. The Mexican authorities denied his entry due to an existing warrant against him. He was quickly deported to Amsterdam, where the national police officer arrested him at the request of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Although crime suspects’ arrest is usually confidential, the leaked arrest was made possible by the suspect himself at a deleted Instagram story. In the post, he revealed that he was arrested in Mexico and thus started the speculations. However, the complete details about Dubnikov’s arrest remains a mystery. The arrest created an uprising in the Russian crypto community since they wanted an official response and denunciation of Denis Dubnikov’s arrest from the Russian administration.
But in a leaked detail spotted by reporters, it was revealed that the official crime committed by Dubnikov is about a money laundering incident.
According to files provided by the judicial court in the United States, about half a million cryptocurrency assets tied to the Ryuk threat group was transferred by Dubnikov’s account in the later months of 2018.
It is still a mystery if the total of money laundered came through the suspect’s account or passed through a fund affiliated with EggChange and Cayote Crypto.
An article was published earlier this month. It has a topic about EggChange as one of the most notorious cryptocurrency exchange firms located inside the city of Moscow. Also, it is allegedly involved in several cybercrime money laundering events. Unfortunately, the estimated half a million profit that Dubnikov allegedly possessed is merely a penny compared to Ryuk’s gained funds. According to a threat intelligence company report, the Ryuk ransomware group allegedly extorted over $150 million from its latest victims in the United States.
Although many malicious threat groups are shutting down, the Ryuk ransomware is still alive and kicking, waiting for the next opportunity to strike.
