A Chinese citizen has been arrested in Singapore for allegedly operating an international cybercrime botnet.

Washington: A Chinese citizen was arrested in Singapore during an international operation on charges of creating and using malicious software that was employed for cyberattacks, large-scale fraud, and child exploitation. Singaporean police confirmed that 35-year-old Wang Yunhe was detained on May 24 at his home in Singapore on suspicion of involvement in criminal cyber activities in the United States. The arrest occurred following an extradition request sent from the U.S. This information was revealed on Thursday, May 30, in response to inquiries from the CNA agency. The United States has an extradition treaty with Singapore.

According to information from American officials, Van had been operating a large botnet network for nearly ten years. The U.S. Deputy Attorney General, citing FBI Director Christopher Wray, stated on Wednesday that the botnet...This is a network of virus-infected computers....located in almost 200 countries, and it is likely the largest in the world. It has been reported that this botnet has generated millions of dollars in profit by selling access to infected computers to criminals who used them for stealing personal data, child exploitation, and financial fraud, including pandemic-related benefit fraud.

Law enforcement agencies conducted searches in Singapore and Thailand, reported Brett Leatherman, Deputy Assistant Director of the FBI's Cyber Operations. The U.S. Department of Justice stated that Wang and others, whose names are not disclosed, are allegedly...created and spread malwareto create and accumulate a network of millions of home computers running Windows around the world.

The indictment states that Van used his illegal income to make purchases.21 real estate propertiesIn the United States, China, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, and Saint Kitts and Nevis, where he also obtained citizenship through investment. The threats directed at Wan included:

• Sports cars
• More than a dozen accounts in both domestic and international banks.
• More than two dozen cryptocurrency wallets
• Expensive watch
• Real estate

Matthew S. Axelrod, the Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement at the U.S. Department of Commerce, noted that the crimes attributed to Vanu "look like they were ripped from a script." "The scheme of selling access to millions of malware-infected computers around the world, allowing criminals to steal billions of dollars, send threats regarding obtaining explosive devices, and exchange materials related to child exploitation — and using nearly $100 million in profits from this scheme to purchase luxury cars, watches, and real estate," he added.

Van reportedly managed a botnet on 150 dedicated servers, half of which were rented from online services located in the United States. The Department of Justice stated that the operation was multi-agency, involving law enforcement from the U.S., Singapore, Thailand, and Germany. The Singapore police reported on Thursday that they and the Attorney General's office had been working on the case in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI since August 2022. The investigation, led by the U.S., is ongoing.