Gardaí in Cork have arrested two people in relation to international cybercrime offences as part of a joint investigation with the FBI.
The inquiry centred on the sale of cybercrime tools online, including “ransomware as a service, personal banking details, credit card details and false documents such as passports and driving licences”.
Ransomware as a service refers to freelance criminals who sell the technical means and know-how needed to carry out ransomware attacks on targets.
The Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) said it has been conducting parallel investigations with the FBI into the sale of such items.
Bureau detectives, along with local units, carried out several searches earlier on Thursday. During the searches, a 40-year-old man and 42-year-old woman were arrested under money laundering legislation. They are being held in separate Garda stations in Cork.
Gardaí also seized property and assets, including computers and cryptocurrency. The computers are being examined for evidence, said the Garda.
"An Garda Síochána considers these arrests as significant in the context of transnational cybercrime and today's action highlights the continued international law enforcement co-operation and commitment in tackling cybercrime," said Det Supt Pat Ryan of the GNCCB.
The investigation was assisted by the Garda liaison officer in Washington DC and the FBI’s legal attache in London. The GNCCB said it has been “liaising with the FBI in recent months for the purpose of targeting the activities of cybercriminals”.
