Wang Yunhe, a man accused of operating and controlling the world's largest botnet, continued to refuse extradition to the United States on Tuesday (June 18th). His defense lawyers requested more time to receive instructions from their client, which was approved by the judge. The case has been adjourned until next Monday (June 24th) for another hearing at the Singapore State Courts.
Wang Yunhe repeatedly refused extradition to the United States for trial
Previously, 35-year-old Chinese citizen Wang Yunhe was arrested in Singapore on May 24 on suspicion of participating in cybercrime activities in the United States.
During the court appearance on May 31, Wang Yunhe stated through his lawyer Huang Yuanxiang that he refused to be extradited to the United States to face trial.
During the retrial on June 6, the prosecution requested that Wang Yunhe be remanded for seven days in accordance with the extradition law in order to complete the necessary legal procedures. Wang Yunhe's lawyer also expressed that he needed more time to accept the client's instructions and requested that the case be postponed. During the trial, Wang Yunhe made it clear through a video link and a Chinese interpreter that he did not agree to be extradited to the United States.
During the court hearing on June 18, Wang Yunhe continued to express his refusal to be extradited to the United States. The defense lawyer asked for more time to accept the client's instructions. The judge approved the case and the case was postponed to next Monday (June 24) before the national court again. Mention the hall.
Wang Yunhe may be forcibly extradited
Singapore passed the Extradition (Amendment) Bill on third reading in April 2022. According to the new regulations, the court needs to ask the fugitive whether he agrees to be extradited. If the fugitive agrees, he or she can be exempted from certain judicial procedures and avoid prolonged local detention. However, fugitives do not have the right to apply for review after agreeing to extradition.
If the fugitive does not agree to be extradited, the Attorney-General's Office of Singapore needs to provide sufficient evidence to prove that he should be extradited, and the fugitive also has the right to present evidence in his favor. Fugitives have the right to hire a lawyer to defend their case, but the final decision rests with the court.
Whether Wang Yunhe will be extradited to the United States to stand trial may be determined in court on June 24.
The huge botnet behind Wang Yunhe
The U.S. Department of Justice pointed out that Wang Yunhe cooperated with others from 2014 to July 2022 to create and spread a botnet called "911 S5" to Microsoft computers in many countries around the world. He also sold botnets to other networks Used by criminals.
Wang Yunhe’s botnet is huge. According to reports, the "911 S5" botnet spreads malware through a Virtual Private Network (VPN). Victims think they are downloading a legitimate VPN, but in fact it contains malware, allowing criminal gangs to control the victim's computer and form a so-called botnet. He took control of millions of infected computers. These computers are distributed around the world. As a result, computers in nearly 200 countries around the world were hacked, and more than billions of dollars were defrauded.
Therefore, when Wang Yunhe was arrested, the U.S. Department of Justice issued a notice claiming that its law enforcement activities destroyed "911 S5, the largest botnet in history."
criminal activities
- DDoSattack: Through his botnet, Wang Yunhe can launch large-scale DDoS attacks, causing target websites to be paralyzed. The targets of DDoS attacks include corporate websites, government agencies, and competitors' websites.
- Financial fraud: Using the botnet, Wang Yunhe can engage in various forms of financial fraud, including stealing bank account information, credit card fraud, and more.
- Spam email sending: The botnet is also used to send out large volumes of spam emails, which may contain phishing links or malicious software.
- Personal information theft: By infecting computers, the botnet can steal users' personal information, including login credentials, social media accounts, email accounts, and more.
Wang Yunhe’s personal situation
As one of China's famous hackers, Wang Yunhe's personal development experience must be quite legendary. He rose from an ordinary computer hobbyist to a cybercriminal kingpin operating the world's largest botnet.
At present, the personal information disclosed by Wang Yunhe is extremely sparse, and there is no information about his education status or previous employment status.
A Chinese who could not find any relevant information on the Internet created the world's largest botnet "911 S5", which also gave the public more room for imagination about Wang Yunhe's background.