A 23-year-old Russian citizen, described by investigators as a hacker and employed in Poland as a truck driver, has been placed in three-month pre-trial detention on suspicion of interfering with the IT systems of Polish companies, Poland’s Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime (CBZC) confirmed.
The man was detained on 16 November after investigators concluded he had broken through the security protections of an online retailer, gaining unauthorised access to the company’s IT systems and databases.
Officials say he then manipulated the structure of those databases in ways that could have had serious consequences for the company’s operations and the security of its customers.
Investigators added that some of the cyberattacks were carried out from the rest compartment of the lorry in which he travelled while working as a driver.
Prosecutors also believe the suspect may be linked to other cyber incidents targeting not only Polish businesses but companies in other EU member states.
These potential connections are currently being verified, and authorities describe the case as ongoing, with further arrests and charges possible.
According to the CBZC, the suspect illegally crossed Poland’s border in 2022 and obtained refugee status in 2023.
Prosecutors requested that he be isolated from the public during the investigation, and a court in Kraków approved the application, ordering his temporary detention for three months.
TVN24, citing one of the CBZC’s operational officers, reported that the suspect told authorities his actions were motivated by financial gain.
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Source: IAR/TVN24/CBZC