(qlmbusinessnews.com . Mon 14th Jul, 2025) London, UK —
Breaking News: International Task Force Arrests Suspected Cyber Gang Targeting Major Retailers
Four individuals have been apprehended in connection with a series of cyber-attacks that threw leading retailers M&S and the Co-op into disarray, police have reported.
The National Crime Agency (NCA) disclosed that a task force detained a 20-year-old woman in Staffordshire along with three males, whose ages range from 17 to 19, in London and the West Midlands, on a series of charges. These include suspicions of breaching the Computer Misuse Act, extortion, money laundering, and involvement with an organised crime syndicate.
The arrests occurred during early morning raids at their residences on Thursday, during which police also confiscated an array of electronic devices.
Among those detained, a 19-year-old man hails from Latvia, while the others are UK natives.
The community was taken aback by the substantial police presence in a usually peaceful Staffordshire close, where the 20-year-old woman was arrested. Witnesses reported an overwhelming number of NCA officers, some masked with balaclavas, forcefully entering a home and later extracting numerous electronic devices.
Paul Foster, who leads the NCA's National Cyber Crime Unit, described these arrests as a “significant step forward” in the ongoing investigation. He emphasised the commitment to working with partners both within the UK and internationally to ensure the culprits face justice.
Since mid-April, the cyber-attacks have severely disrupted operations for both M&S and the Co-op. The Co-op experienced empty shelves for extended periods, while M&S anticipates operational shortcomings until late July, with full recovery of its IT systems expected only by October or November.
The chairman of M&S expressed to MPs that the attack seemed aimed at the company's destruction, with projected losses in profits estimated at £300 million.
Harrods, another victim, managed to mitigate the effects of a similar assault on its operations.
The crime spree began with M&S falling prey first, as vast quantities of confidential data pertaining to customers and staff were pilfered. The cybercriminals proceeded to launch ransomware, crippling the company's IT infrastructure and demanding a ransom.
It was disclosed that the perpetrators had dispatched a derogatory email to the M&S chief, demanding payment.
In rapid succession, the Co-op also fell victim, with the perpetrators absconding with the private data of millions of its customers and employees. The Co-op later conceded to the enormity of the data breach when hackers presented the Reporters with evidence that the company had been downplaying the severity of the cyber-attack.
Harrods later announced that it, too, had been targeted but managed to stave off further damage by disconnecting its IT systems from the internet.
The arrestees are identified as a 17-year-old male from the West Midlands, a 19-year-old man from London, a 19-year-old Latvian male also residing in the West Midlands, and a 20-year-old woman from Staffordshire.
The NCA highlighted that this operation received backing from both the West Midlands Regional Organised Crime Unit and the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, as they continue to unravel the scale of the cybercriminal activities.
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