Iranian Wanted by U.S. for $3.4 Billion Cyberattack Spree Arrested in Montenegro

Podgorica, Montenegro — An Iranian national wanted by the United States for orchestrating a massive hacking spree that inflicted an estimated $3.4 billion in damages was arrested in Montenegro late Thursday, according to local police.

The 39-year-old suspect, who holds dual Iranian and Turkish citizenship, is charged in a New York federal court with conspiracy to commit computer fraud, hacking, and identity theft, authorities said.

Police tracked him down in the coastal resort town of Kotor, where he was taken into custody at the request of U.S. law enforcement and the FBI, Montenegro’s police force confirmed.

“Since 2013, as an associate of a legal entity in Iran, he carried out massive hacking attacks on U.S. infrastructure, including more than 150 universities, causing damage estimated to exceed $3.4 billion,” police said in a statement reported by AFP.

The stolen data and compromised university systems were used to benefit Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian entities, including universities based inside Iran, the statement added.

The arrest highlights the ongoing threat of state-backed cyber operations targeting Western institutions. Montenegro, a NATO member and U.S. ally, has increasingly cooperated with international law enforcement on high-profile cybercrime cases. The small Adriatic nation of roughly 620,000 people is also a candidate for European Union membership.

An extradition hearing is expected to take place at a court in the capital, Podgorica, in the coming days.