According to state media, Russian authorities have apprehended the alleged main administrator of the LeakBase online crime hub on Thursday.

Citing TASS and MVD Media, affiliated with the Russian Interior Ministry, the suspect resides in Taganrog. He’s accused of launching and running a criminal website facilitating the exchange of pilfered personal data since 2021.

Additionally, during the search, investigators found and confiscated technical instruments and other relevant evidence at the suspect’s residence.

According to Irina Volk, a spokesperson for the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the forum “contained hundreds of millions of user accounts, financial data, logins, passwords, and corporate documents acquired through hacking. Over 147,000 registered site users were able to transact this data and utilize it to defraud citizens.”

LeakBase was shut down earlier this month in a coordinated law enforcement initiative. The U.S. Department of Justice (DoJ) identified it as one of the world’s foremost spots for cybercriminals to trade in stolen information and malicious tools.

This included vast quantities of account details and sensitive financial details like credit card numbers, banking information, usernames, and their associated passwords which were available to use for account compromise attacks.

As of December 2025, the platform boasted over 142,000 members and more than 215,000 messages exchanged between them. A notice displayed on the website stated that “All forum content, like user accounts, posts, financial details, private correspondence, and IP addresses, have been secured and preserved to assist with the investigation.”

LeakBase is attributed to an operator known as Chucky, beakdaz, Chuckies, and Sqlrip. Following its collapse, KELA and TriTrace Investigations reports linked Chucky to a 33-year-old from Taganrog.