'Zotob' hacker 'Diabl0' arrested in Bangkok after three-year hunt

Farid Essebar, aka Diabl0, has finally been arrested by Bangkok police after three years on the run, on suspicion of causing $4bn worth of damage to Swiss banking systems. The 27-year-old Moroccan, who has a Russian passport, was nabbed by police from the the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), as well as officials from …

[Ole Juul]

Justice and bank balance

Does anybody know how much it cost to track this person down? Also, how much will they be spending on him over the next few years? I'm just wondering if this case (and others like it) is worth this much trouble. By the time it's over, the software will have been patched or completely changed, and I doubt that the process will be a deterrent for others. I'm not denying that he's a naughty boy, but from the article it sounds like he just caused embarrassment to everyone. The so called damage to the Swiss banking system I take with a grain of salt because those guys always talk like that.

[Anonymous Coward]

Re: Justice and bank balance

Maybe it will keep him from causing more trouble in the next five years?

[Vociferous]

State sponsored/spook?

Seems his activities are strangely well-aligned with the views of Iran and Russia. I trust they'll thoroughly investigate his bank accounts and movements.

[Anonymous Coward]

It looks that Putin is eager to give Russian passports to everybody...

Crimeans, morroccan hackers... it looks only Iranians needs to buy stolen EU passports, c'mon Putin, give 'em some Russian passports as well!

[Jonathan Richards 1]

Rama IV Road

But... but... Ramans do everything in threes!

[Alex Walsh]

If it was america that were extraditing him, no doubt it would be a year for every $1 of damage he caused...

[KR Caddis]

UNLESS... he is a Banker or one of the 1%, then he vacations at a Country Club jail in So. Calif. for 2 years, and gardens when not watching TV.

[Anonymous Coward]

Give him 20 to life.

[JaitcH]

So what's with Thailand as a Get Lost Destination?

Thailand is far from idyllic if you want to get lost.

As a major drug growing area, the US FBI, DEA, etc. are well represented in town and the Thai government is far too friendly with the US supplying all manifests departing flights to all destinations to the big US data suck system. The UK has passport control types as well as drug Plod. The new Thai visa regime is a pain, too, as the old border runs are out.

Adjoining countries are also unsuitable. The Thai/Cambodia border is well guarded due to cross-border fighting. Cambodian immigration now has eye-scan facilities and also contributes to the US. China, Laos, Burma and VietNam are stiff visa destinations.

My choice would be 'borderless' Europe or South America.

Still, in a Swiss jail he will be well catered for, although not as well as in some Scandinavian countries.

His biggest problem will be Uncle Sam taking an interest in him and dreaming up some wild charges that will get him a room in Leavenworth for a few decades.