Reza Hery Pamungkas, Jakarta – Indonesian police have arrested a 22-year-old man, identified by his initials WFT, who claimed to be a hacker operating under the alias "Bjorka." He is accused of breaching data belonging to 4.9 million bank customers and attempting to sell it on the dark web.
The suspect was detained in late September at his home in Kakas Barat, Minahasa, North Sulawesi, following a six-month cybercrime investigation, Jakarta Metro Police announced on Thursday.
According to Herman Edo, head of the Cybercrime Division, WFT confessed to accessing sensitive bank data and preparing to sell it online, with initial motives pointing to attempted extortion of the bank.
"Our investigation traced the suspect's digital footprint, including his activity on illegal forums and data transaction history. A report from the bank led us directly to his arrest," Herman said.
Multiple aliases and dark web deals
During questioning, WFT admitted to using several online aliases since 2020, including Bjorka, Skywave, Shint Hunter, and Opossite 6890, to communicate and trade stolen data on dark web forums.
Police said the suspect also claimed to hold stolen data from a health company and other institutions in Indonesia. He acknowledged engaging in dark web transactions using cryptocurrency.
Authorities are still determining the full scope of the compromised data, the number of victims, and the money trail from the illegal activities.
Shadow of the infamous 'Bjorka'
The case has revived memories of a cyber scandal three years ago, when a hacker under the "Bjorka" alias leaked personal data belonging to top Indonesian officials, including former Communications Minister Johnny Plate and senior minister Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan.
The leaked information included phone numbers, national identity numbers, and Covid-19 vaccination records. In one post, Bjorka claimed to have hacked correspondence sent to then-President Joko Widodo, including intelligence documents between 2019 and 2021.
Police did not confirm whether the arrested suspect is the same "Bjorka" responsible for those earlier high-profile leaks.