Two arrested in Cork after FBI and Garda cybercrime investigation

A man, aged 40, and a woman, aged 42, were arrested by members of the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau during a series of searches in the city.

Two people have been arrested in Cork on Thursday as part of a major Garda and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigation into transnational cybercrime.

A man, aged 40, and a woman, aged 42, were arrested by members of the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau (GNCCB) during a series of searches in the city.

The are being detained under the provisions of the Criminal Justice (Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing) Act 2010.

They are being questioned at separate Garda stations.

The GNCCB in conjunction with the FBI have been conducting parallel investigations into the sale of illicit items online, including ransomware as a service, personal banking details, credit card details and false documents such as passports and driving licences.

As part of this probe, the GNCCB, with assistance from local operational units in the Cork City area, conducted a number of searches in the city earlier.

Property and assets, including crypto assets, have been seized. Computers were also seized and are set to undergo forensic examination for evidential content.

The operation and arrests follow months of interaction and engagement between the GNCCB and the FBI, with the assistance of the Garda liaison officer in Washington and the FBI legal attaché based in London, as part of an investigation targeting the activities of cybercriminals.

GNCCB's detective superintendent Pat Ryan described the arrests as significant.

"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," he said.