Four arrested over M&S and Harrods cyberattacks

Three teenagers and a young woman have been arrested as part of an investigation into the Marks & Spencer, Coop and Harrods cyberattacks.

- ATHENA STAVROU

The National Crime Agency (NCA) said four people were arrested early yesterday morning in relation to the attacks, which happened earlier this year.

The arrests include three males - one aged 17 and the other two 19 - from the West Midlands and London, as well as a 20-year-old British woman from Staffordshire. All are British except for one Latvian male.

The four were arrested on suspicion of blackmail, money laundering, offences linked to the Computer Misuse Act and participating in the activities of an organised crime group. They were all arrested at their home addresses and remain in custody.

The arrests come after investigations by the NCA into attacks against the three retailers, where hackers sought ransom payments after breaking into their IT systems.