The Palestinian Authority police announced the arrest of a suspect known as the “Palestine Hacker,” who had been operating from an area north of Ramallah and was wanted by authorities for more than five years.
The suspect was also sought by police in several other districts for cases related to online extortion and additional cyber-related crimes.
According to police spokesperson Louay Irzeikat, a joint force from the Criminal Investigation Department and the Anti-Drugs Department, with assistance from special police units and other security agencies, carried out a targeted operation that led to the arrest. During the raid, officers seized dozens of SIM cards and mobile phones allegedly used by the suspect to defraud and extort victims.
Irzeikat confirmed that the suspect is being held pending transfer to the Public Prosecutor’s Office for formal legal proceedings. He warned the public not to approach individuals claiming to be hackers who can “solve” cyber problems, stressing that the safest course of action is to contact the official cybercrime unit, which handles cases professionally and with strict confidentiality. He added that the unit has successfully resolved 67% of the cases it has handled since the beginning of the year.