Moldovan Police Detain Suspect Linked to €4.5 Million Ransomware Attack on Dutch Research Institution
May 13, 2025
Cybercrime / Ransomware
Authorities in Moldova have arrested a 45-year-old foreign national suspected of orchestrating multiple ransomware attacks against Dutch businesses in 2021. “He is wanted internationally for various cybercrimes, including ransomware attacks, blackmail, and money laundering targeting firms in the Netherlands,” officials stated on Monday. As part of the operation, police confiscated over €84,000 ($93,000) in cash, an electronic wallet, two laptops, a mobile phone, a tablet, six bank cards, two data storage devices, and six memory cards. While the suspect’s identity remains undisclosed, he was apprehended during a search of his residence in Moldova. Notably, he is accused of launching a ransomware attack on the Netherlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) in February 2021, resulting in damages estimated at €4.5 million. This incident also led to the leak of internal documents.
