Europol has busted a malware distribution ring linked to at least $75 million in stolen cryptocurrency

According to Crypto Briefing, a large-scale operation called "Operation Final" was carried out to crack down on the ecosystem of malicious software distributors under the coordination of the European police organization. The operation was led by France, Germany and the Netherlands and took place from May 27th to 29th, targeting various malicious software distributors including IcedID, SystemBC, Pikabot, Smokeloader, Bumblebee and Trickbot. Investigations have shown that one main suspect deployed ransomware through a criminal infrastructure website, earning at least 69 million euros (approximately 75 million US dollars) in cryptocurrency. Law enforcement agencies are closely monitoring the suspect's transactions and have obtained legal permission to seize these assets in future operations. The press release issued by the European police organization did not mention any specific cryptocurrency or platform used in the transactions.