SRINAGAR: Montenegrin police, working with the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), have arrested an Iranian national wanted by US authorities for allegedly carrying out large-scale cyberattacks that caused an estimated USD 3.4 billion in damages to American infrastructure, international media reported
The 39-year-old suspect, who holds dual Iranian and Turkish citizenship, was arrested on Thursday in the Adriatic coastal town of Kotor following a request from US authorities, Montenegro’s police directorate said.
The man is wanted by the US District Court for the Southern District of New York on charges including conspiracy to commit computer fraud, computer hacking, and aggravated identity theft.
According to Montenegrin police, the suspect carried out extensive cyberattacks beginning in 2013, targeting more than 150 universities across the United States and compromising their computer systems.
Police said the stolen data, along with access to compromised university accounts, was allegedly used for the benefit of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and other Iranian entities, including universities.
The case has been referred to the High Court in Montenegro’s capital, Podgorica, which will oversee extradition proceedings to determine whether the suspect will be transferred to the United States to face trial.
The FBI did not immediately comment on the arrest.
US authorities have repeatedly accused Iran and the IRGC of sponsoring cyber operations targeting American institutions and critical infrastructure. In April, US cybersecurity, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies warned of an escalation in Iranian hacking campaigns aimed at critical infrastructure across the country.
