70 Romanians Arrested on 6th of April 2010

Apparently one of the scammers, Cătălin Sârbu, recently died in a car accident:

http://adevarul.ro/locale/alexandria/frisca-hackerul-despre-spune-vandut-catedrala-alexandria-internet-inmormantat-fanfara-1_52527b47c7b855ff560c0e80/index.html


Update 04/14/2010

Due to Romanian laws Mr. Nicolae Popescu was indeed allowed to leave after no formal charges were filed against him within the alloted 24 hour period.

Story here:
http://garwarner.blogspot.com/2010/04/nicolae-popescu-romanian-hacker-at.html

However,
Mr. Popescu was indeed subsequently charged and given a 29 day sentence.
The fact that he left the jail and apparently left the country doesn't bode well for him and his accomplices.
His flight from Romania will appear as an admission of guilt.
Interpol will surely issue a warrant for his arrest.

Update 04/11/2010

The perpetrators arrested and detained for 29 days in Valcea case are Florin Dan Mişcoci, Alexandru Răduţ, Marius Adrian Ologu, Marian Sorin Grigorie, Laurenţiu Dumitru Anghel, Vasile Petronel Avram, Florin Buceag, Iulian Stere, David Gabriel Cârstea, Narcis Nicolae Petrache, Sebastian Lungu, Bogdan Mehedinţu, Daniel Alexandru Ciomag, Aurel Cătălin Dincă, Gheorghe Tiberiu Budărescu, Ionuţ Sorin Dumitru, Gabriel Drăghici, Nicolae Cristian Ciucă, Nicolae Popescu, Dumitru Daniel Busogioiu, Ovidiu Vlad Cristea, Ştefan Iordachi, Florin Nicula, Nicolae Andrei Paraschiva, Cătălin Sârbu, Marian Lovită Priboi, Mihaela Florina Ungureanu, Vlad Nicolae Vrapciu, Flore Valentin Boje, Alin Constantin Cotă, Florin Dorin Răducu, Călin Cornel Fălcuşan, Alexandru Nicolăescu, Claudiu Marian Turica.

Story here:

http://www.masuramedia.ro/news/11267.html

Translation here:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.masuramedia.ro%2Fnews%2F11267.html&sl=ro&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

Update 04/08/2010

Valcea Court issued Wednesday evening, after almost 10 hours of deliberations, arrest warrants for 29 days for all the 34 people detained by DIICOT prosecutors in Ramnicu Valcea Tuesday evening, after hearing more than 40 people suspected of being involved in electronic fraud.

Update 04/07/2010

Following the action on April 6, 2010, conducted by prosecutors DIICOT - Territorial Office Valcea, make the following comments:
Prosecutors DIICOT - Territorial Office Valcea ordered moving the prosecution and detention for 24 hours to 34 defendants and asked the court to order their arrest for 29 days.
Czech judicial authorities have detained 10 defendants, which were issued European arrest warrants.



Official News Release:

http://www.diicot.ro/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=299:comunicat-de-presa-07042010&catid=38:mass-media&Itemid=81

English Translation:

http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diicot.ro%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D298%3Acomunmedia%26Itemid%3D81&sl=ro&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8




The prosecutors from Valcea and Pitesti DIICOT (Directorate for
Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism) Field Offices, in
collaboration with police officers from IGPR - DCCO and with the help of the
Romanian Gendarmerie carried out this morning a major action directed at
three organized cybercrime groups, involved in scamming and on-line frauds
and other Internet-related crimes.



The three criminal groups have been operating for about four years (as of
2006) on the territory of various countries - Spain, Italy, France, New
Zeeland, Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, the United States, Canada,
Switzerland and were involved in multiple scams and on-line frauds.



Up to this moment, the members of the criminal groups have made over 800
victims, causing a prejudice estimated at about 800.000 Euros.



On the 6th of April 2010, 101 searches were conducted out under the
coordination of the DIICOT prosecutors. Of these, 31 took place in
Bucharest, 41 in Valcea, 12 in Teleorman, 4 in Timis as well as in other
Romanian counties: Argeş, Prahova, Braşov, Constanţa, Dolj, Giurgiu,
Suceava, Botoşani, Bacău - 1 in each county.



10 simultaneous searches were conducted in the capital of the Czech
Republic, Prague, where other members of the criminal groups were located.



70 persons were brought to the headquarters of the DIICOT Field Office in
Valcea for hearings.



300 police officers and 400 members of the Romanian Gendarmerie took part in
this major action.



The DIICOT prosecutors carried out the operation with the support of the FBI
and the help of United States Secret Service Office in Bucharest.



The operation, considered to be the most prominent action carried out in
2010 by the DIICOT prosecutors and the law enforcement agencies involved in
combating organized crime was aimed at the most important cybercrime groups
that act in Bucharest, Valcea - Dragasani and Teleorman - Alexandria - areas
that are now notorious for their cybercriminal potential.

Official Press Release:
http://www.diicot.ro/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=298:comunmedia&Itemid=81

English Translation:
http://translate.google.com/translate?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.diicot.ro%2Findex.php%3Foption%3Dcom_content%26view%3Darticle%26id%3D298%3Acomunmedia%26Itemid%3D81&sl=ro&tl=en&hl=&ie=UTF-8

Here is a video interview with the head of the FBI Office in Bucharest, Gary Dickson, concerning Romanian involvement in internet crimes, compliments of http://www.hotnews.ro: