50 hackers of Russian ring held for stealing $25 mn from banks

At least 50 members of a hacking ring were arrested on suspicion of stealing over 1.7 billion rubles (over $25 million) from Russian bank accounts, authorities said on Wednesday.

The group has created a malicious computer programme to gain access to accounts of legal entities and correspondent accounts of financial institutions, Xinhua news agency quoted the interior ministry as saying in a statement.

The suspects have been detained in 15 different regions and transported to Moscow with the support of the newly-created National Guard, the Federal Security Service said in a statement.

During the searches, a large quantity of computer equipment, electronic data storage devices, SIM cards, bank cards, rubber stamps and forged documents of legal entities have been seized.

The investigation department of the interior ministry has opened a criminal case.

--IANS

py/vt