Sven Echternach, Andrus Nomm Arrested In Megaupload Crackdown

AUCKLAND (Reuters) - Two men sought worldwide in connection with a U.S.-led crackdown on the online file-sharing website Megaupload have been arrested, a New Zealand government lawyer told a court on Monday.

U.S. authorities had issued international warrants for Sven Echternach, 39, a German, and Andrus Nomm, 32, of Estonia for their involvement in alleged internet piracy and money laundering.

The two had been arrested in Europe, New Zealand government lawyer Anne Toohey told a court hearing on an application for bail by Megaupload's founder Kim Dotcom, also known as Kim Schmitz.

Toohey said Echternach had travelled to Germany from the Philippines, but cannot be extradited because German law does not permit extradition of its own citizens. Nomm had been detained in the Netherlands.

A Slovakian national, Julius Bencko, is still being sought in connection with what U.S. authorities have called the Mega Conspiracy.

Dotcom, 38, and three others, were arrested in New Zealand on Friday after police raided a country estate at the request of the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Raids took place in several other countries and the Megaupload site has been shut down, with the business's assets frozen.

On Monday, Dotcom's New Zealand lawyer denied Megaupload was involved in copyright breaches, the pirating of movies and music, and said his client should be given bail, possibly involving electronic tagging.

Toohey said Dotcom was an "extreme flight risk" and should be held in custody ahead of formal hearing on the United States' extradition bid.

U.S. authorities want to extradite Dotcom on charges he masterminded a scheme that made more than $175 million in a few short years by copying and distributing music, movies and other copyrighted content without authorisation. Megaupload's lawyer has said the company simply offered online storage.

(Writing by Gyles Beckford; Editing by Ed Davies and Alex Richardson)

Copyright 2011 Thomson Reuters. Click for Restrictions.

Comments

[Roger Ramjet 1777]

12:14 AM on 01/26/2012

Now here's a question for you - they spent a ton of time and money going after MegaUpload. How much do you think they spent going after corporate bankers that cost BILLIONS? I bet the FBI, Congress and the likes don't want anyone asking that...

[friskymojito]

01:55 AM on 01/25/2012

yeah poor guys :(
megaupload has been up for a really long time ago , it feels as through they are a historical landmark on the internet. to be honest the files being uploaded there arent your mainstream movies and mp3s..just files , old videos that nobody would care to pirate or just pictures, mostly porn or whatever nonsense stuff. sometimes people upload files that can help other people , that has nothing to do with piracy or illegal stuff. like i said it only worked 2 times out of 10 if u didnt pay.

[friskymojito]

10:26 AM on 01/24/2012

their service has been up for a really long time and it didn't even work properly unless you paid for it. so i dont know whats up w/ this.

[Jeff Sizer]

12:31 PM on 01/24/2012

They are being used as an example to scare everyone else.

[Acert]

12:31 AM on 01/24/2012

Note that the FBI managed to do this all without PIPA or SOPA.

[Juicyhil]

03:15 AM on 01/24/2012

If they want to bring you down, they will. With or without SOPA/PIPA.

[Neitherpartieslapdog]

08:49 PM on 01/23/2012

I was just reading on USATODAY that many file sharing sites are now disabling their sharing function. You can only download what YOU have uploaded.

[ilovecandy]

12:15 AM on 01/24/2012

D:

[Fanny Cole]

06:51 PM on 01/23/2012

the tr00ls who couldn't find new zealand on a map if their lives depended on it are weighing in. hilarious

[SkreetGil1]

06:33 PM on 01/23/2012

How can they take down his site if he hasn't been proven guilty?

[tooschool]

06:45 PM on 01/23/2012

Exactly. Also, isn't this what PIPA and SOPA were purported to do? Why the new laws then?

[Greg Albright]

08:08 PM on 01/23/2012

No, SOPA and PIPA are intended to prevent criminal organizations like Megaupload from getting this large and sophisticated. You just shut down their DNS, and prevent them from exchanging money here in the US.

In this case they had to go into data centers and seize actual servers.

[Greg Albright]

08:30 PM on 01/23/2012

Oh, also PIPA and SOPA are about pirate groups operating outside the US. Megauploads servers were all here in the US.

[KIampfbeobachter]

06:47 PM on 01/23/2012

Here in the USA you are considered guilty and it is up to you to prove (if you can) your innocence.

[ilovecandy]

12:15 AM on 01/24/2012

I hope that's sarcasm.

[max pain]

06:02 PM on 01/23/2012

I am rooting for the little guy.

[anthonytaurus]

10:54 PM on 01/23/2012

which one's the little guy.. hahahhaa lol

[Barbarian At The Gate]

11:15 PM on 01/23/2012

It's 1%'er versus 1%'er, Hollywood versus Kim Dotcom. However, when you think about it, all of Hollywood and the US Federal Government versus Megaupload and Dotcom behind it, Dotcom is clearly the underdog.

[BusterCluster]

05:58 PM on 01/23/2012

gAtO wItNeSs – LIVE International Underground Cyber War via Twitter this weekend. #Anonymous #Megaupload #OpMegaupload #TangoDown …
Anonymous Twitter feeds kept everyone informed, supporters retweeted it, joined in the attack and soon you could see the traffic increase 100% over the course of the event. The attack vector was dDoS but they manage to delete sites like cbs.com down to the bone. Another defiance stance from Anonymous and their crew(z) this weekend showing who has bad security.

This is a way for Anonymous to become "job creators" (mEoW), because these companies need more good security people fast…

Will these companies try and hide these attacks? Will these organization disclose if any identifiable USER INFO was compromised? – Will we see unencrypted USER INFO (credit cards -mastercard.com was tango down)in the wild of cyberspace?

My 2© cents – gatoMalo
http://uscyberlabs.com/blog/2012/01/23/underground-cyber-war-tangodown-opmegaupload/

[waldopepper]

04:57 PM on 01/23/2012

I am rooting for the little guy.

[Donatella]

04:27 PM on 01/23/2012

The interesting part of the arrests is that they confiscated all his assets before he was even given a trial. There was a lot of concern regarding SOPA/PIPA but the legislation is only to formalize the power the state already has to act as a corporate policemen with little regard for due process.

[Kache]

10:21 PM on 01/23/2012

If the police enter your house with a warrant based on evidence you are operating a meth lab, then indeed find a meth lab, they do not invite you to a trial, or, even if they arrest you, leave the lab behind for someone to continue operating. What is it you don't understand?

[abuckley23]

04:26 PM on 01/23/2012

Does anyone else find it weird that his last name is Dotcom?

[nirvana101]

04:39 PM on 01/23/2012

Oh come on.. if you're going to comment on something then at least read the story first.

[abuckley23]

04:49 PM on 01/23/2012

Your exasperation is appreciated but not needed. I read the story. Did he change his name to Dotcom? Or was it just a nickname?

[shanec90]

04:19 PM on 01/23/2012

So who thinks they actually did what they're accused of doing?

[ewj1]

04:23 PM on 01/23/2012

Considering they have taped conversations between the them stating they knew what was being uploaded and limited the number of takedown notices they could get in day. I would say they did it. I must admit to not knowing if it was totally illegal.

[Donatella]

04:30 PM on 01/23/2012

I'd say give them a trial but it seems the state declares they're guilty much like Obama, the constitutional lawyer, stated on tape that Bradley Manning was guilty. Hmmm, must be something in the White House drinking water that changes presidential candidates.

[nirvana101]

04:41 PM on 01/23/2012

Where did you read or hear that.. have any links to it?

[WESTFIELD]

04:13 PM on 01/23/2012

Wow you would have though these guys were Osama Bin Laden with the worldwide manhunt and coordination that the justice department is doing. What a joke they are. Obama needs to fire Eric Holder now.

[ewj1]

04:21 PM on 01/23/2012

A criminal is a criminal.

[Donatella]

04:31 PM on 01/23/2012

Only after a trial. But then you may be living in China.

[RobJames]

11:02 PM on 01/23/2012

A Jaywalker is a criminal

[Imperial Puppy]

04:11 PM on 01/23/2012

When I was a child, I though that money laundering meant washing your money in the laundry. Ah, good times.

[jstance]

07:31 AM on 01/24/2012

sometimes i wish i could go back - to that time line, because the future im in, is not looking so good.