Turkey detains cyberspace thieves with Russian link

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

ISTANBUL, Feb 14 (Reuters) Turkey has smashed a criminal gang with links to Russia that is believed to have siphoned off at least 500,000 dollars from private Internet bank accounts, police said today.

They said 17 Turks had been detained in raids last weekend in three provinces on suspicion of hacking into as many as one million private bank accounts in Turkey and stealing cash. The suspects appeared in court yesterday.

''Operations are still under way because the affair has connections to Russia. There could be a number of other people involved,'' a police officer said.

He declined to name the banks hit by the hackers.

Turkish newspapers today said the gang had been led by Russian hackers and said Interpol was helping the search for them in Russia.

Before the weekend arrests, Turkish police had already detained more than a dozen people in the affair over the past three months. The total amount of money stolen could eventually prove to be much more than the estimated 500,000 dollar, police said.

''We have taken their computers, and once we can solve certain passwords and gain access we will have the exact information,'' said the police officer.

Police have confiscated money, half a dozen computers and two cars during their investigation.

Reuters KD GC1958

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