Arrested, but not detained: Black Basta leader escapes from courtroom

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The alleged leader of the Black Basta hacker group, Oleg Nefedov, who is wanted by Interpol and the US authorities, was arrested in Armenia for 72 hours, but managed to escape from custody. The cybercriminal left the courthouse during the hearing before the judge had time to issue a decision on temporary detention.

Intel 471 has linked the identity of the leader of the Black Basta group, known by the aliases GG and tramp, to Oleg Nefedov. A recent leak of the gang's internal messages revealed many details about the activities of this group.

Notably, from June 21 to July 3, 2024, messages from the GG leader ceased. When he reappeared online, he privately spoke with another member of the group about his arrest by law enforcement and escape with the help of high-ranking officials.

According to Armenian news outlet
168.am , Nefyodov was detained for 72 hours on June 21, 2024 at 11:00. Prosecutors filed a request for temporary detention with the court, which scheduled an urgent hearing a few hours before the arrest period was to expire. However, the judge did not make a decision within the set time.

Nefyodov’s lawyer requested a 15-minute postponement, after which the defendant was released “for a walk” and fled the courthouse in a car, despite the presence of court and police officers. After his escape, the judge personally announced the decision to arrest Nefyodov, but the criminal had already disappeared without a trace. The

Black Basta leader bragged to his associates about his “very high-level friends.” When asked by another member of the group how he was rescued, GG replied: “Remember how I said that I have friends at a really high level; this is the level of our number one.”

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[td]Screenshot of the correspondence. Source Intel 471.[/td]
In subsequent messages, GG claimed to have requested a “green corridor” and was “immediately flown out.” He also mentioned the help of a person running “large corporations” who could ensure smooth passage through immigration through another high-ranking official.

Intel 471 researchers note that such a connection to the state is not unusual for a high-ranking cybercriminal.