The Spanish police have arrested two individuals in the province of Las Palmas for their alleged involvement in cybercriminal activity, including data theft from the country's government.

The duo has been described as a "serious threat to national security" and focused their attacks on high-ranking state officials as well as journalists. They leaked samples of the stolen data online to build notoriety and inflate the selling price.

"The investigation began when agents detected the leakage of personal data affecting high-level institutions of the State across various mass communication channels and social networks," reads the police announcement.
"These sensitive data were directly linked to politicians, members of the central and regional governments, and media professionals."

The first suspect is believed to have specialized in data exfiltration, while the second managed the financial part by selling access to databases and credentials, and holding the cryptocurrency wallet that received the funds.

The two were arrested yesterday at their homes. During the raids, the police confiscated a large number of electronic devices that may lead to more incriminating evidence, buyers, or co-conspirators.

One evening in late December last year, I received a cryptic phone call from a PR director at TikTok, the popular social media app. I’d written extensively about the company for the Financial Times, so we’d spoken before. But it was puzzling to hear from her just before the holidays, especially since I wasn’t working on anything related to the company at the time.