The National Police have arrested this Tuesday in Gran Canaria two young people, 18 and 19 years old, accused of cyberterrorism for their alleged participation in the leak of addresses, telephones, ID numbers and email addresses of ministers, socialist militants, of those involved in the Koldo case, journalists and former leaders of the Popular Party.
According to the newspaper La Provincia, the detainees are Yoel O., a computer science student called Akkaspace in his online channels, who is identified as the ringleader of the plot, as well as his friend Cristian S., called Pakito in the same digital media, who is considered an accomplice. The same media outlet states that these leaks were made in chats related to Alvise Pérez.
They sold the data for cryptocurrencies
According to the National Police in a statement, the main arrested Yoel O. is responsible for the leak of personal data of high personalities of the State and the Government. The newspaper La Provincia has pointed out that this data was sold for around 200 euros in cryptocurrencies.
In addition, "taking advantage of the publicity and significance of these publications, he would have illicitly sold access to databases that contained sensitive information", the Police point out.
Meanwhile, the second arrested would allegedly be in charge of monetizing these activities. The investigation, in charge of the National Court, is under seal directed by Magistrate Francisco de Jorge after agents found last week in a Telegram channel personal data of several ministers; of the president of Congress, Francina Armengol; of the president of the Generalitat of Catalonia, Salvador Illa, and of those involved in the Koldo case.
Socialist ministers and those involved in the Koldo case
Among those affected are also journalists, as well as the former number three of the PSOE Santos Cerdán, the former minister José Luis Ábalos, his former advisor Koldo García and the businessman and alleged commission agent Víctor de Aldama, the four investigated in the Supreme Court for the so-called Koldo case.
The investigation began when agents detected the leak of personal data in various mass dissemination channels and social networks.
The same digital profiles that published the data claimed ownership of it and, in addition, boasted of their ability to sell it, while launching threatening messages about future publications in the same line, "with the consequent danger to national security", the statement stresses.
The criminal activities of the detainees included charging through the use of cryptocurrencies as a means that facilitates anonymity and hinders the tracking of funds by investigators.
It was on the morning of this July 1 when the investigators arrested the young people and searched their homes, where they seized numerous effects and technical supports that are being analyzed.
Two data leaks in ten days
This would be a second data leak after a first dissemination of reserved information occurred on June 19 in a Telegram channel that affected other members of the Government such as Vice President María Jesús Montero, ministers Fernando Grande-Marlaska, Óscar Puente, Luis Planas, Diana Morant, Ana Redondo and Elma Saiz, and also former PP leaders such as María Dolores de Cospedal or Rafael Catalá, among others.
This first leak occurred from a Telegram channel with more than 92,000 followers and was published by a user who identifies himself in the channel with a pseudonym and was republished by another user later.
A serious threat to national security
The Police believe that the nature of the leaked data, which affected positions in high State institutions, members of political parties and journalists, "made the arrested a very serious threat to national security".
The operation has been carried out by agents of the General Information Commissariat and has had the collaboration of the National Intelligence Center and the provincial information brigades of Madrid and Las Palmas.
All this has been coordinated by the Prosecutor's Office of the National Court, under the direction of the Central Court of Instruction number One.