The Biden administration praised the Kremlin for detaining members of a notorious ransomware gang at the request of the U.S. in a sweeping operation across Russia.
Law enforcement raided the homes of 14 members of the gang REvil and seized currencies worth nearly $7 million, cryptowallets and 20 luxury cars, according to a statement Friday by Russia’s Federal Security Service. Authorities in the U.S. have been informed that the group was shut down, it said.
REvil, short for Ransomware-Evil, has been among the most prolific cybergangs and was accused of leading a flurry of attacks last year against companies and organizations, including one last May on plants in North America and Australia for meatpacker JBS SA, which eventually paid an $11 million ransom.