Japan extradites Russian man to Germany over role in Qilin ransomware group
Japan extradited 28-year-old Russian national Vladimir K. to Germany, where investigators suspect that he is one of the key members of the Qilin hacking group, according to a report by Der Spiegel . K., known online by the nickname “snake,” was detained in Osaka on May 26 while vacationing there with his girlfriend. He was flown from Tokyo to Frankfurt on Oct. 2 and is now in custody. According…
Vladimir K., a 28-year-old Russian national, was extradited from Japan to Germany in October 2024. The extradition came after Qilin, a hacking group suspected of involving K., attacked a North Rhine-Westphalia logistics company in September 2024, demanding $165,000 in bitcoin. K., known online as "snake," was detained in Osaka while on vacation with his girlfriend.
He was flown to Frankfurt and subsequently placed in custody. According to the North Rhine-Westphalia State Criminal Police Office, K. worked primarily as a developer for Qilin and received a significant portion of the ransom payments facilitated by the group. Qilin emerged in 2022 as Agenda and rents out ransomware attack infrastructure to other criminals, receiving a percentage of the proceeds.
The group has targeted 152 organizations in Germany alone and demanded over $70 million in total, with about one-tenth of that amount being paid. Qilin's activities have resulted in $2.9 billion in ransom payments worldwide, with victims transferring over $140 million. German authorities identified K. after Qilin targeted a logistics company in September 2024 and demanded $165,000 in bitcoin.
German and Japanese authorities collaborated to facilitate K.'s extradition, as Germany and Japan lack an extradition treaty.
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