Online reports, the U.S. Department of Justice reported that the U.S. Department of Justice has charged Russian citizen Rustam Gallyamov with leading a global cybercriminal gang and developing the notorious Qakbot malware. Authorities have seized more than $24 million in cryptocurrency assets related to the criminal activity and plan to return them to victims. Gallyamov is accused of operating Qakbot malware since 2008, infecting more than 700,000 computers worldwide and contributing to major ransomware attacks such as Conti, Black Basta and REvil. In August 2023, in a U.S. -led international operation, authorities seized more than 170 bitcoins and more than $4 million in USDT and USDC from Gallyamov. The operation is part of a joint fight against cybercrime by the United States, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark, the United Kingdom and Canada. If convicted, Gallyamov faces up to 25 years in federal prison.