Neither Dutch authorities nor the FBI identify the suspect, but Krebs on security and Reuters reports that police arrested Pepijn van der Stap, a Dutchman convicted of data theft and extortion in 2023. Van der Stap joined Dutch cybersecurity company Neo Security when he was released from prison last year, according to Krebs on security. ShinyHunters account Reuters that van der Stap “has no association” with the group.
Brett Leatherman, assistant director of the FBI’s Cyber Division, calls the suspect one of the group’s alleged leaders, while issuing a warning to the remaining members. “The longer you stay in this, the more we learn about you. You know how to find us and we know how to find you,” Leatherman says in a video posted Tuesday. “I suggest you reach out first while the choice remains yours.”
The 24-year-old is also suspected of “attempted incitement to commit two murders,” according to Dutch police. “As we speak, FBI teams are actively working with partners to obtain and execute additional leads in the ongoing investigation based on this arrest,” writes FBI Director Kash Patel in a post on X.
