Europol adds Spanish academic to Most Wanted list for aiding pro-Russian hackers

Europol has added a Spanish university professor to its Most Wanted list. The professor is being accused of helping the pro-Russian hacking group NoName057(16).

37-year-old Enrique Arias Gil, also known under his alias Russian disinformer, is suspected of collecting information on Spain’s critical infrastructure and members of its security forces to facilitate cyberattacks. Additionally, he’s being accused of threatening journalists and business leaders who openly supported Ukraine.

According to local news outlet El País, Arias Gil is currently hiding in Russia. A judge of the National Court has, therefore, issued an international search and arrest warrant. However, Moscow's cooperation is unlikely.

Arias Gil is wanted on charges of computer damage for terrorist purposes, glorifying terrorism, and membership in a criminal organization. The suspect describes himself as a doctor in International Security from the National University of Distance Education (UNED), an expert in Islamic culture, and a graduate in Political Science. He has also written several books on extremism.

Two days after Europol published Arias Gil on its Most Wanted list, he posted a message on his Telegram channel, demanding to be left alone.

“You have 10 hours to rectify and drop all criminal charges against me. Or I will release all the information on every corrupt colonel and every corrupt woman. From the highest positions to the lowest prostitute,” he wrote.

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NoName057(16) is a hacktivist group that emerged after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Since then, the gang has launched numerous disruptive distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks against government websites and NATO countries supporting Kyiv, including Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Spain.

In July 2024, Spanish law enforcement authorities arrested three NoName057(16) members on suspicion of attacking institutions and strategic sectors in Spain and other NATO countries.

Almost immediately after the arrests, the hacktivist published a manifesto on its Telegram channel, swearing to retaliate against the EU nation with a wave of DDoS attacks against Spanish critical infrastructure.

“We declare a vendetta against the Spanish authorities, who lawlessly detained our comrades!” the gang said, labeling the operation a “witch hunt.”

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