Germany Arrests Suspected Qilin Ransomware Leader After Japan Detention
Germany arrested a suspected Qilin leader extradited from Japan, while the gang kept listing new victims.
Germany arrested a Russian national suspected of being a leading figure in the Qilin ransomware group after Japan detained him at an Osaka hotel in May and extradited him under a provisional warrant tied to a German ransomware case. Qilin, a ransomware-as-a-service operation active since 2022, was among the most active groups in 2025, claiming over 40 victims a month and about 100 in June, and it kept listing victims after the arrest. Named activity includes attacks on Nissan and Asahi, whose breach exposed data on 1.5 million people, and an alleged March breach of Dow. The group uses double extortion via Tor leak sites, phishing, and known vulnerabilities, and in early October allied with DragonForce and LockBit.