Prosecutors from the Directorate for Organized Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) arrested 11 Romanian hackers who may have stolen EUR 4.5 million via online scams.

The prosecutors and Police carried out 64 searches in nine counties and Bucharest on Tuesday morning, as part of a joint Romanian-German investigation. The action targeted the dismantling of a crime group specialised in computer fraud, computer forgery, and money laundering.

Following these searches, the prosecutors arrested 11 suspects for 24 hours, reports local Mediafax. All 11 hackers could be placed under 30-day preventive arrest.

According to the prosecutors, the organized crime group was set in April 2015 and was made of 74 people. Their activities brought a total damage of over EUR 4.5 million to more than 1,000 people in Romania, Germany, Czech Republic, France, and Italy.

The group was split into three levels, each carrying on specific tasks, according to DIICOT. One level included the group's coordinators and those in charge of recruting other members. Another level was made of the group's members who placed fake adds to sell various products on platforma accross Europe. These people would also keep in touch with the victims via email and instruct them on where to wire the money for the fictitious products.

The third level was made of Romanians and foreigners who were willing to open bank accounts in Romania and abroad and let the network use them in exchange for a fee. They were called "the arrows" Since April 2015, the crime group members have opened some 230 bank accounts abroad and about 120 in Romania, according to DIICOT.

The joint investigation team received logistical support and funding from Eurojust. A German prosecutor also attended the searches in Romania, together with three police officers from Germany, and the Romanian representative at Europol, according to the statement from DIICOT. The Romanian Gendarmerie also supported the actions.

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Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com