A suspected member of an international network of cyber-attacks targeting banks has been extradited from Portugal to Angola, where ten other suspects are already in detention, Angolan authorities have announced.
In a statement cited by the Lusa news agency, Angola's Criminal Investigation Service (SIC) said it received the suspect on Tuesday, 25 August, 'by way of extradition from the Portuguese Republic.' The individual, an Angolan national, had fled to Portugal following the alleged offences.
The man, a former bank employee, was being sought by Angolan authorities on suspicion of belonging to 'an international criminal network investigated for cyber-attacks against Angolan banking institutions.'
The police investigation, described as being of 'high complexity,' was launched in January 2025 and, according to the SIC, 'made it possible to identify a structured criminal organisation.'
The alleged organisation is said to be 'composed of national and foreign citizens of Nigerian, Ivorian, Beninese, and Lebanese nationalities, with a division of tasks and operations directed against banking institutions in Angola and other countries in the region.'
The statement notes that the investigation identified 'both completed attacks and attempted attacks,' and that the intervention of authorities prevented some of the attempts and preserved significant sums of money.
The now-extradited suspect was employed at a banking institution in the municipality of Negage, in Uíge province, at the time of the alleged offences. According to authorities, he 'surrendered his access credentials and introduced a computer device into the bank's internal network, creating the conditions for remote access to the institution's systems.'
The attack took place in January 2025 and, according to the investigation, caused economic losses in excess of €5.6 million. The SIC further noted that 'following the attack, the suspect travelled to Portugal, with the trip funded by the criminal network itself, where he reportedly received his financial compensation and continued to collaborate in the recruitment of bank employees.'
The investigation has resulted in the detention of ten individuals, who remain in preventive custody. Authorities are continuing 'operations aimed at locating and detaining other members of the organisation,' both in Angola and abroad.
Source: Diário Económico
Original article: https://www.diarioeconomico.co.mz/?p=534555
