Police have charged two Uzbekistan nationals with conspiracy to
defraud, possession of articles for use in fraud, and money
laundering and bailed seven other eastern Europeans in connection
with the
first Police Central E-Crime Unit (PCeU) raids on 8 April.
The two Uzbeks, Azim (23) and Azamat (25) Rahmanov, were
remanded in custody. Four women and three men, all under 30, were
bailed to reappear in late June. The Rahmanovs will appear in court
on 10 June.
Police are continuing their investigations.
On 8 April Computer Weekly reported that the PCeU, working with
police and bank officials, raided addresses in London. The raids
followed a coordinated investigation into the use of a Trojan virus
to steal money from bank accounts.
The virus allowed the suspects to steal money from bank accounts
by transferring it to accounts set up and controlled by the gang.
People recruited by the gang then withdrew the cash.
More than 50 officers from the PCeU, local boroughs and
Specialist Crime Directorate operated for the first time as a
"virtual task force". Police said at the time this was "an
innovative approach to tackling e-crime".