Japan Hands over ‘Qilin’ Hacker Group Member to Germany
German authorities sought the 28-year-old suspect after he allegedly extorted crypto assets from a logistics firm in 2024, investigators said.
- On Tuesday, Japan handed over a detained Russian national to German authorities, identifying him as a key member of the international ransomware group "Qilin."
- German authorities requested the suspect's detention after he allegedly extorted crypto assets from a German logistics firm in 2024, prompting Japanese authorities to locate and detain him.
- The National Police Agency reported that Qilin was suspected in 32 of 149 ransomware-linked cases confirmed in Japan in 2025, with the group causing major damage through data encryption.
- In 2025, the group claimed responsibility for a system outage at Asahi Group Holdings Ltd, an attack involving blocked data access and demands for payment to restore it.
- Ransomware threats persist as the National Police Agency confirmed 123 ransomware attacks in the first half of 2026, marking a new half-year record high for Japan.
45 Articles
45 Articles
The Russian hacker group Qilin has attacked thousands of companies worldwide and blackmailed them with perfidious means. Now one of the heads is behind bars.
North Rhine-Westphalia's investigators have succeeded in striking against the worldwide active Russian hacker group "Qilin".
The Russian group Qilin is considered one of the most aggressive hacker networks in the world. Investigators had observed them in Japan – and arrested a member for the first time.
For months, German investigators observed a criminal hacker network whose alleged co-developer is now in custody in Germany. The case provides insights into the »Champions League of Crime«.
Months of investigations, international cooperation and finally access: How investigators from NRW infiltrated the Qilin group - and can now report an arrest.
Months of investigations, international cooperation and finally access: How investigators from NRW infiltrated the Qilin group - and can now report an arrest.
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