14 DAY TRIAL // Officers from the UK Metropolitan Police’s Central e-Crime Unit (PCeU) have arrested a total of 12 men believed to have hacked into the systems of a London branch of Santander Bank, located at the Surrey Quays shopping center.
According to authorities, cited by The Daily Mail, the crooks were planning to steal millions of pounds from the financial institution.
The hackers installed a KVM switch (keyboard, video and mouse) on a computer within the targeted bank. The device allowed them to remotely take control of the bank’s computers.
“Yesterday’s time-critical, dynamic response was achieved by working in partnership with the banking sector, thwarting a very significant and audacious cyber-enabled offence, and avoiding multi-million-pound losses from Santander at Surrey Quays shopping centre,” Scotland Yard representatives said.
Eleven of the men, aged between 23 and 50, were arrested on Thursday in Kingsley Avenue, Hounslow. Another individual, aged 34, was arrested at Vauxhall Bridge Road.
Police searched a number of residences in Westminster, Hounslow, Hillingdon, Brent, Richmond, and Slough. Various items were seized during the raids.