Four people have been arrested after a wave of cyber attacks struck Marks & Spencer, Co-op and Harrods this year.
A woman and three teenagers were arrested early yesterday morning on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, offences linked to the Computer Misuse Act and participating in the activities of an organised crime group.
The arrests included a British man, 17, from the West Midlands, a Latvian man, 19, from the West Midlands, a British man, 19, from London and 20-year-old British woman from Staffordshire.
M&S was been hit by a ‘highly sophisticated’ cyber breach that crippled operations in April.
Food deliveries, click and collect services and online orders were upended for weeks, while M&S stocks spiralled.
Sign up for all of the latest stories
Start your day informed with Metro’s News Updates newsletter or get Breaking News alerts the moment it happens.
Paul Foster, head of the National Crime Agency’s (NCA) National Cyber Crime Unit, said: ‘Since these attacks took place, specialist NCA cybercrime investigators have been working at pace and the investigation remains one of the agency’s highest priorities.
‘Today’s arrests are a significant step in that investigation, but our work continues, alongside partners in the UK and overseas, to ensure those responsible are identified and brought to justice.’
Got a story? Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. Or you can submit your videos and pictures here.
For more stories like this, check our news page.
Follow Metro.co.uk on Twitter and Facebook for the latest news updates. You can now also get Metro.co.uk articles sent straight to your device. Sign up for our daily push alerts here.
