Interpol nabs rich Russian hacker
CZECH REPUBLIC: It’s a plot fit for a Hollywood blockbuster: a young Russian hacker allegedly amasses a fortune partly by stealing data from social media networks and eludes the law for years while living the high life.
Yet Yevgeny Nikulin’s luck appears to have run out after it emerged last week he had been detained in Prague and now faces the threat of extradition to America. The Muscovite has been indicted by US prosecutors over allegations he hacked a number of networking sites, including a raid on more than 100 million users of LinkedIn in 2012.
He is also accused of conspiracy to traffic information from the professional networking site, as well as supplying hacking tools to others.
Police swooped on Nikulin, 29, earlier this month as he and a companion sat down to drinks at La Ballerina, a luxury hotel in the Czech capital.
Previously described by Russian media as a ‘‘successful entrepreneur’’ who owns a string of luxury cars, including Lamborghinis and Bentleys, he briefly fainted as he was taken into custody.
‘‘It was a classic case of collapse caused by the shock of the arrest. Our officers gave him first aid,’’ said a police spokeswoman.
Nikulin was arrested under an Interpol red notice, the equivalent of an international arrest warrant, issued at the request of the FBI. A Czech judge has remanded Nikulin in custody before a hearing on his extradition to America, but Russia has made clear it wants him returned home.
Last week an anonymous acquaintance of Nikulin described him on Russian television as both a ‘‘young genius’’ and an idiot for travelling to Europe when he knew he was wanted by the authorities.
Arriving in Poland en route to Prague, Nikulin posted a picture of his luxury Mercedes on his Instagram account. He sent his 44,000 followers a message in Polish: ‘‘Hello Poland.’’
One follower replied: ‘‘What about Interpol?’’ It was not the first time Nikulin had taunted investigators. He boasted of his luxury car collection in a 2015 interview with the Russian website AutoRambler.
‘‘At 27, Yevgeny is already a successful entrepreneur, and the list of his business interests includes a construction firm, a car garage and a business selling luxury watches . . . the Huracan is not his first Lamborghini,’’ it said.
Russia’s foreign ministry issued a statement saying it was working closely with the Czech authorities and Nikulin’s lawyer to prevent his extradition.
‘‘The incident is the latest evidence of the [US] using law enforcement authorities to hunt Russian citizens around the world,’’ said a Russian government spokeswoman. ‘‘This once again proves the political motivation of the claims against Russia and Russian citizens.’’
The FBI sees Nikulin’s arrest as a success for international efforts ‘‘to defeat cyber-adversaries’’. - Sunday Times