Russian's arrest part of global dark-web crackdown

Detectives arrest Sergey Medvedev, 31, on Soi Sukhumvit 56, Bangkok, last Friday. He is wanted for allegedly running a criminal website trading in stolen credit cards, personal data and other illegal items. (Photo supplied by the Crime Suppression Division)

The arrest in Bangkok of a Russian cyber gangster believed to run the dark criminal website known as Infraud was part of a huge US-led crackdown on transnational crime, and he will be extradited, according to a senior officer of the Crime Suppression Division.

Pol Maj Nathapol Ratanamongkolsak, a CSD inspector, said on Friday that Sergey Medvedev, 31, was arrested on Soi Sukhumvit 56 in Phra Khanong district on Feb 2 by police executing a warrant issued by the Criminal Court.

"Mr Medvedev is the head of a criminal organisation which has affected the global economy and public in general. He concealed his identity in cyberspace and traded in illicit items using digital currency to avoid arrest," Pol Maj Nathapol said.

Prior to the man's arrest, which was aimed at his extradition, the CSD had late last year joined a global operation led by the US Department of Homeland Security against the Infraud Organisation, which operated a dark website selling illegal goods to cyber criminals.

According to Pol Maj Nathapol, investigators learned that Mr Medvedev was an administrator of the website and hid out in the @City condominium on Soi Sukhumvit 101/1. Direct and internet-based monitoring led to the arrest.

Police followed him from his condo and took an opportunity to arrest him in Soi 56. Police did not ask him what he was doing there.

After the arrest police searched his condominium room and seized electronic equipment as evidence.

The US-led crackdown, called Operation Shadow Web, on the dark-web organisation occurred simultaneously in 14 countries. On Tuesday the website's server was seized in Paris and accomplices were arrested in Australia, Britain, Italy, Ivory Coast, Kosovo and the US.

"It is one of the biggest crackdowns on international criminal syndicates by the Justice Ministry of the US," Pol Maj Nathapol said.

According to earlier reports, Infraud Organisation traded in stolen credit cards and personal identity data and caused US$530 million in losses. The website also allegedly sold drugs, illegal weapons, stolen credit card PINs, protected wild animals and illegally obtained government documents.