Australian cops cuff alleged TeamPCP masterminds

Australian authorities have arrested two men in Perth, alleged to be the masterminds of a cybercrime group known as TeamPCP, according to the Federal Police (AFP) and the FBI. The two, aged 21 and 23, were reportedly "principal participants in the activities of the cybercrime syndicate and received payments in cryptocurrency for their roles in the illegal activity."

The alleged leader, identified by the FBI as Ruben Thomson, is believed to be one of the arrested men. Investigations into the pair began in April 2026 following information from multiple cyber threat assessment companies about a syndicate allegedly inserting malicious code into open-source software. The attacks allegedly compromised over 1,000 organizations globally, resulting in the theft of over 500,000 credentials and the exfiltration of at least 300 gigabytes of data.

The financial impact is estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars. The arrested men were found with electronic devices and other items, and authorities seized a large volume of data for forensic examination. Further arrests and charges have not been ruled out. Perth, known for the original "Black Swan" event, was the site of the arrests and a third nearby property was searched.