Boy, 17, arrested in FBI cyber crime operation

The 17-year-old boy was arrested in connection with a global cyber crime group targeting major companies

A teenage boy has been arrested as part of a global inquiry into a cyber crime group.

The 17-year-old from Walsall was arrested on Thursday after a joint investigation between West Midlands Police and the FBI.

He was taken into custody on suspicion of Blackmail and Computer Misuse Act offences and released on bail while inquiries continue.

The arrest is part of a investigation into a large scale cyber hacking community targeting a number of major companies including MGM Resorts in the USA.

West Midlands Police's Regional Organised Crime Unit joined officers from the National Crime Agency for the arrest.

They removed a number of digital devices from an address in the town which will undergo forensic examination.

Det Insp Hinesh Mehta, cyber crime unit manager said the arrest was made following a complex investigation stretching overseas to America, in close collaboration with the National Crime Agency and FBI.

He said: "These cyber groups have targeted well known organisations with ramsomware and they have successfully targeted multiple victims around the world taking from them significant amounts of money."