The international police have successfully dismantled the Ragnar Locker ransomware group, known for its 2020 attack on Capcom. The operation involved law enforcement from 11 countries and led to the arrest of key members, striking a major blow to the group’s criminal activities.
International law enforcement agencies have arrested the key target of the notorious Ragnar Locker ransomware group in Paris, France. Law enforcement officials from 11 countries participated in the operation, which also led to the questioning of five other suspects in Spain and Latvia.
💻Ragnar Locker ransomware gang taken down by international police swoop.
🌐Law enforcement and judicial authorities from 11 countries deliver major blow to dangerous ransomware operation.
Press Release ⤵️https://t.co/smYwiqUJmh
— Europol (@Europol) October 20, 2023
Between October 16 and 20, international police forces coordinated a series of actions against the Ragnar Locker group. The operation was spearheaded by Europol and Eurojust and saw participation from 11 countries, including France, the United States, Germany, and Japan. The process culminated in the arrest of a “key target” in Paris and additional interviews with five suspects in Spain and Latvia. These suspects were brought before examining the Paris Judicial Court magistrates by the end of the action week.
Ragnar Locker has been a severe threat to businesses and individuals for years, targeting critical infrastructure worldwide. Their most infamous exploit was the November 2020 attack on Capcom, the Japanese video game company, which affected up to 390,000 people. During this attack, the group stole large amounts of personal data, including names and addresses, from Capcom’s servers.
Law enforcement and judicial authorities traced and arrested the group’s key target in Paris. Searches were also conducted at his home in Czechia. According to Europol, the joint operation also included the takedown of the group’s ransomware infrastructure in the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden. Additionally, the data leak website operated by the group was removed, significantly limiting their ability to execute future attacks.
This isn’t the first crackdown against Ragnar Locker. In October 2021, investigators from the French Gendarmerie and the US FBI, along with specialists from Europol and INTERPOL, were deployed to Ukraine. This resulted in the arrest of two significant operators of the group. Investigations have been ongoing since then, leading to the recent arrests and disruptive actions.
