Pramesh S Jain
The Central Crime Branch (CCB) Police on Wednesday arrested a 25-year-old hacker for breaking into government websites.
CCB has arrested Srikrishna alias Shriki,aged 25 years,a computer programming, and a Bachelors in Computer Science.He hacked many websites,online gaming portals, and made illegal gains.He also tried to hack into government websites.
The accused was known to hack online poker games to win money and bitcoins online.He reportedly also confessed to hacking the e-procurement website of the Karnataka government in 2019.
Continuing investigation into the international drug racket,the CCB has arrested 25 year old ,Srikki and it is a big catch as he was wanted in a wide range of cases,including hacking gaming and government websites,dealing in Bitcoins on the dark web,buying drugs from abroad,as well as physical assault.
Sandeep Patil,Joint Commissioner of police,Crime,said that Srikrishna studied till PU in the city before joining university in Amestradam in Netherlands where he graduated in computer science in 2017.
Patil said,The accused Srikrishna,is a resident of Jayanagar and was arrested based on the information provided by the accused arrested in the international drug racket in South division recently.
He returned to Bengaluru to look for job but could not get one.Since he is expert in internet and hacking, he started hacking gaming and other websites to steal data ans money from the cards used by the people who accessed the sites.
Meanwhile he was approached by Suneesh Hegde and Prasidh shetty seeking access to dark net to but hydro ganja.Since the last two years the accused would buy hydro ganja and other drugs from darknet and pay through bitcoins.Sri krishna would also convert bitcoins from the stolen money online.
He also hacked many websites and get ransom from the owners of the website to unlock.The accused confessed that they would get the drug parcel to foreign post office in Chamarajpet he added.
The CCB police arrested Sujay M,on Nov 14 when he along with Hemanth had come to get the parcel.While Sujay was arrested by CCB, Hemanth managed to escape and the CCB police later arrested him along with Suneesh and four others.
Sri krishna told the police that he would consume drugs and alak organise drug parties at various places including the residential apartments in Sanjaynagar,star hotels, resorts and farm houeses in and around the city.The accused would sell the drugs in the party to make huge amount of profits.
Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Police Commissioner, Kamal Pant said,The CCB Police has arrested one accused who is known for hacking poker game websites and also dealing with Bitcoins. We arrested him yesterday and we are now investigating all his illegal activities.SriKrishna is a 25-year-old software programmer.
A resident of Jayanagar in Bengaluru,Srikki completed his schooling in the city and then went to Amsterdam in 2014 to pursue further education in computer science.
Armed with the knowledge of programming,he arrived back in Bengaluru in 2017 and began his career in hacking websites.
MODUS OPERANDI:
Srikki had a few accomplices and friends who helped him in criminal endeavors.Srikki would purchase drugs from the dark web using Bitcoins and then would have them delivered to Chamarajpet Foreign Postal Office.Then he or one of his accomplices would collect the consignment from the post office.They would sometimes sell these drugs and at other times consume them.
He would also hack poker websites,steal vital data and then blackmail the owners to pay him whatever he wanted.
“He [Srikki] has been active in the Bitcoin trade. Recently,he was also involved in a case that was registered at the Kempegowda Nagar police station in South Bengaluru limits.He was the person who provided Bitcoins for purchasing drugs through Darknet and we are investigating his activities.
During the investigation,it was found out that Sunish and Prasad were related and that they were sourcing the drugs via the dark web with the help of Sri Krishna and then distributing and consuming it.
WHAT HAS SRIKKI BEEN UPTO?
After returning from Amsterdam,Srikki was a very busy man.He is accused of hacking into Indian Poker websites and an online gaming website called RuneScape.With the money he made,he would party at Sunish and Prasad’s flat where drugs would be consumed and sold.
In 2018,he was involved in a criminal case where he and Mohammed Nalapad son of MLA NA Harris allegedly assaulted a man in UB City.
Then in 2019,a complaint was filed by the state government’s e-procurement cell after Rs 11 crores vanished from the cell’s accounts.The cell’s portal was hacked from Bengaluru.
Again in 2019,he allegedly hacked many gaming websites,stole data and blackmailed its owners to get money.He would also track the use of Bitcoins online and hack the websites.
Pant even said that the CCB will now be looking into Srikki’s other criminal activities,and if there is any evidence which can strengthen the cases against him, any new substance that comes out, we will take legal action as per law Pant told media persons at the persons at press conference.
Sri krishna also hacked e procurement website of the state government to acess the details of the visitors..
A case has been registered in CID cyber crime police station in this regard against him and he was produced before the 33rd ACMM Court magistrate sent him to CCB police custody till 14 days by court.
Finally Bengaluru police Commissioner,Kamal Pant,has appreciated,Joint CP Crime,Sandeep Patil,DCP Crime-1,KP Ravikumar,ACP, Anti-Narcotics Wing,Gautham,PI,Sridhar Pujar and his team for nabbing the international hacker who was wanted from past 2 years and a suitable reward will be given to the team for their commendable job done by them he added .
