Russian Hacker Wanted by FBI Arrested in Thailand

Bangkok, Nov 21 (AP) Police in Thailand have arrested a Russian national on the island of Phuket, who is wanted by the FBI for allegedly orchestrating cyberattacks on government agencies in the US and Europe, authorities confirmed.

The 35-year-old suspect arrived in Thailand on October 30 via Phuket Airport and was detained earlier this month. He is currently being held while awaiting possible extradition, according to Thai police.

Although his name was not officially released, Russia Today identified the suspect as Denis Obrezko from Stavropol. The report indicated that his family confirmed his November 6 arrest and expressed intentions to oppose his extradition to the US.

The US Department of Justice declined to comment on extradition matters or provide additional details, while the US State Department and American officials in Thailand have also refrained from commenting.

The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian embassy in Thailand were unavailable for comments, but Yegor Ivanov, Russia's consul general in Phuket, told the Russian news agency Tass that the consulate was notified of a Russian citizen's arrest on information technology crime charges. Ivanov confirmed, “He was arrested on November 6 and transferred to Bangkok that same day.”

Ilya Ilyin, head of the consular section at the Russian embassy in Thailand, told Tass on Monday that Russian diplomats had visited the detained suspect in Bangkok. “Embassy staff conducted a consular visit to the Russian citizen detained at the request of the United States,” Ilyin stated, adding that efforts are underway to facilitate a meeting with his relatives.

The arrest followed a lead from the FBI, according to Thailand's Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau’s November 12 statement. The bureau called him a “world-class hacker” and said he was apprehended in Phuket on an international warrant. During the raid at his hotel, police seized laptops, mobile phones, and digital wallets, with FBI officials present at the scene.

Reports surfaced that another 35-year-old Russian hacking suspect, Aleksey Lukashev, with connections to Russian military intelligence, was arrested in Phuket the next day. However, Thai police clarified that only one arrest occurred, and the US Department of Justice informed the AP that Lukashev “remains a wanted fugitive.”

A formal extradition request for Obrezko has been submitted, yet the timeframe for the process remains unclear. (AP) NPK NPK