Men who hacked into White House officials’ emails ‘to be handed over to US’

The three Nigerians were arrested for hacking into the emails of top White House officials, Dubai Police said.

DUBAI // Three men convicted of hacking into White House officials’ email accounts will be handed over to the US after completing their jail terms in the UAE, a Dubai Police official has said.

Dubai Police had arrested the Nigerians, two aged 26 and one aged 24, on suspicion that they were part of a network that in 2015 targeted five senior White House officials.

Maj Saud bin Suror Al Khalidy, director of information and development at the Dubai Police cyber crime department, had discussed the case during a three-day forensic conference in Dubai that started on Sunday.

The hackers “managed to get important documents and information, and blackmailed the five officials,” Maj Al Khalidy said.

Police in the US had contacted Dubai Police for assistance with the suspects’ arrest. They were arrested at the men’s apartment in Ajman, said Maj Al Khalidy.

“Police found hacking software, a list of electronic bank accounts and other items that were confiscated,” he said.

“This wasn’t the gang’s first attempt to commit similar offences. They used to travel from one country to another trying to hack other people’s accounts.

“The three men were prosecuted and will be handed to police in US after serving their jail term.”