Two teens arrested in Gran Canaria over political data leak


Two teens arrested in Gran Canaria over political data leak

Two young men aged 18 and 19 were arrested yesterday (Tuesday) in Las Palmas, Gran Canaria, for allegedly leaking sensitive personal information belonging to high-profile Spanish political figures.

These include Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, senior ministers, and prominent journalists.

Although the investigation is confidential, the National Police have confirmed that the two are suspected of sharing home addresses, phone numbers, ID information, and email addresses through a channel on the social media platform Telegram.

Among those affected are senior government figures such as Francina Armengol, President of the Spanish Congress; Salvador Illa, President of the Catalan Government; and several others implicated in the so-called Koldo case, a political scandal involving alleged corruption and misuse of public funds.

Those affected also include former senior PSOE figures like Santos Cerdán, ex-minister José Luis Ábalos, his former adviser Koldo García, and businessman Víctor de Aldama, who is being investigated as a suspected middleman. All four are currently under investigation by the Supreme Court.

The teenagers are reported to have no previous criminal background or known history as hackers, but are believed to be behind this second wave of data leaks.

The first occurred on June 19th, when a Telegram channel with over 92,000 followers published personal details of other public figures, including Deputy Prime Minister María Jesús Montero and several cabinet ministers. Former Partido Popular leaders María Dolores de Cospedal and Rafael Catalá were also among those targeted.

Investigators say the data was initially made public by a user operating under a pseudonym and later re-posted by others, causing widespread concerns about digital privacy and the security of information related to national officials.

Police searches and digital forensic work are ongoing as authorities continue to determine how the information was obtained and whether others were involved.

 

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