Surrey resident arrested in Operation Endgame, international cybercrime crackdown

A Surrey resident has been arrested as part of an international investigation into a transnational network of cybercriminals.

In March, investigators from the RCMP’s Pacific Region arrested the resident for operating a network of thousands of infected computers capable of delivering malware.

The arrest was made as part of Operation Endgame, an international task force targeting online malware loaders.

“This operation was coordinated with our law enforcement partners in Denmark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and the United States,” Superintendent Adam MacIntosh, Officer in Charge of the Pacific Region Cybercrime and Financial Crime Investigation Teams, said in a media release. “We are working together to make the Internet safer for Canadians.”

Operation Endgame made its first major takedown in May 2024, shutting down the biggest malware droppers, including IcedID, SystemBC, Pikabot, Smokeloader and Bumblebee. The newest phase of the operations is targeting those who used the malware services.

Law enforcement agencies are working to link online personas to real-life individuals.

The operations is undertaken by a joint force between Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, Netherlands and the United States. The operation is being supported by the National Cybercrime Coordination Centre (CNC3) and Europol.