Arion Kurtaj, the 18-year-old hacker who leaked footage of the unreleased Grand Theft Auto 6 game, has been sentenced to life in a secure hospital by a British judge. Kurtaj was part of the notorious Lapsus$ cybercrime gang that targeted major tech firms such as Uber, Nvidia, BT and Rockstar Games in 2021 and 2022.
The First Time Arion Kurtaj Was Arrested
Kurtaj was first arrested by London police in March 2022, along with another 17-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons. The duo had hacked into BT and EE, stealing SIM details from customers and using them to access their cryptocurrency accounts. They also demanded a $4 million ransom from the telecoms company, threatening to leak customer data.
While on bail for these offences, Kurtaj continued his hacking spree with Lapsus$, this time targeting Nvidia, a Silicon Valley tech giant that makes chips for artificial intelligence chatbots. They stole and leaked sensitive and valuable data from the company, and tried to extort more money by posing as employees and spamming their phones with access requests.
How an Amazon Firestick, Hotel TV, and Mobile Phone Got GTA 6 Hacker Life in Prison Hospital
But Kurtaj’s most audacious hack was against Rockstar Games, the developer of the popular Grand Theft Auto series. In February 2022, he managed to breach the company’s servers and obtain footage of the highly anticipated Grand Theft Auto 6 game, which has not been officially announced yet. He then posted some of the clips online, causing a frenzy among fans and gamers.
What is remarkable is that Kurtaj did this while staying at a Travelodge hotel in London, where he was being monitored by police. He also did not have his laptop, which had been confiscated by the authorities. Instead, he used an Amazon Firestick, his hotel TV and a mobile phone to carry out the hack.
Is Arion Kurtaj Autistic? Details on Why He is Staying in a Hospital Prison
Kurtaj did not stand trial for his crimes, as psychiatrists deemed him unfit to do so due to his autism and mental health issues. He appeared via video call from Feltham prison for his sentencing hearing on December 22nd 2023. The judge decided to detain him under the Mental Health Act and send him to a secure hospital indefinitely.
This means that Kurtaj will not have a fixed term of imprisonment, but will remain in the hospital until doctors deem him no longer a risk to himself or others. He will also receive treatment for his condition while in custody. This is a rare and severe sentence that is usually reserved for offenders who commit serious violent crimes.
The judge said that Kurtaj was a high risk to the public because he still wanted to commit cybercrimes, even after spending time in jail. She also said that his actions had caused significant harm to the victims of his hacks, who had their data stolen, their accounts drained and their lives disrupted.
How Social Media is Reacting Arion Kurtaj’s Sentencing
Kurtaj’s exploits have earned him admiration from some Reddit users, who praised his persistence and skill. However, many others have questioned his motives and ethics, wondering why he would waste so much time and energy hacking a video game company instead of a mega corporation that is actually doing harm to people or society.
