Iranian national extradited to US by Montenegro over alleged $3.4B cyberattack case

PODGORICA, Montenegro (AP) — Montenegro has extradited an Iranian-Turkish dual national to the United States over alleged cyberattacks targeting more than 150 U.S. universities and causing an estimated $3.4 billion in damage, police in the Balkan country said on Thursday.

Amir Barati, 40, was arrested in June by Montenegro’s Interpol office and local police in the coastal town of Kotor. The arrest was made at the request of U.S. authorities, including the FBI.

Montenegrin police described Barati as a “high-profile” target sought in connection with cybercrime and organized crime. He faces several charges in New York, including conspiracy to commit computer fraud, hacking and identity theft.

Police allege that Barati began carrying out large-scale cyberattacks against U.S. infrastructure in 2013 while working with an Iran-based entity. Data stolen in the attacks and access to compromised university accounts were allegedly used to benefit Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and other Iranian organizations, including universities.

His arrest and extradition resulted from the exchange of operational and intelligence information between Montenegrin and U.S. law enforcement agencies, police said.