Dutch police arrest suspect linked to ShinyHunters’ alleged FBI hack



FBI building
Photo source: AFP/Getty Images.


Dutch police have detained a 24‑year‑old man from Amsterdam on suspicion of being a key member of ShinyHunters, the hacking collective that recently claimed it had stolen sensitive information from around 38,000 FBI bureau staff members.


According to the statement from the Dutch Investigation Service, the suspect was arrested on 15 September, prior to the alleged FBI data breach that ShinyHunters announced on 21 September. Police reported that during the raid, they seized the suspect’s personal devices and found large amounts of information on his laptop – including details that may indicate he had ordered two murders abroad.


“We are satisfied that we have made a substantial blow to a criminal organisation with a large international footprint,” said Stan Duijf, head of the Dutch cyber‑crime investigation team. His comments followed the arrest and the release of further evidence that the suspect may have been involved in a broader plot.


ShinyHunters, believed to have originated in France, has previously carried out well‑publicised attacks on Rockstar Games, the Canvas learning‑management platform, and more. The group publicly identified itself on the dark web, claiming to have discovered a vulnerability in the Oracle cloud storage system that the FBI uses for its internal tools.


In its communication to reporters, the group said it had not breached the FBI for monetary gain but sought a retraction of an advisory issued in May that described it as a “threat actor.” ShinyHunters’ claim was corroborated by the FBI’s own public service announcement, which noted the group’s tendency to “use alleged access to sensitive information” to extort victims.


FBI Director Kash Patel took to X to thank Dutch partners for their assistance and to confirm that FBI teams were actively working with the authorities on new leads spawned by the arrest. Assistant Director Brett Leatherman of FBI Cyber added, “The longer you stay in this, the more we learn about you, you know how to find us, we know how to find you.”


The case remains under active investigation. Dutch officials have indicated they are not ruling out further arrests and are coordinating closely with U.S. law‑enforcement agencies to track other members of the ShinyHunters network.