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The trial of Flowers and Jubair revealed their involvement with the cyber-crime group known as Scattered Spider. This loosely connected network of predominantly young, English-speaking hackers has been linked to numerous cyber-attacks, including those targeting retail giants such as Marks and Spencer and the Co-op.
Flowers first attracted police attention shortly after his 16th birthday. In October 2023, he was apprehended for engaging in minor cyber offenses and subsequently visited by officers from the West Midlands Regional Cyber Crime Unit. During this encounter, the police report that Flowers did not cooperate and was issued a cease and desist order aimed at deterring future illegal activities. The authorities also had the option to refer him to the Cyber Choices programme, which is designed to redirect youngsters away from cyber-crime. However, since Flowers was already under investigation and showed reluctance to engage, he was considered unsuitable for this intervention.
Despite living with his grandmother, Flowers escalated his criminal activities in the months that followed, culminating in a significant cyber-attack on Transport for London (TfL). Paul Foster, the deputy director of the National Crime Agency’s National Cyber Crime Unit, highlighted that this case underscores the difficulties law enforcement faces with a small group of highly skilled offenders. Foster argued for strengthened legal tools like the proposed Cyber Crime Risk Orders (CCROs), which are part of upcoming amendments to the Computer Misuse Act in the UK. These orders would empower police and courts to impose restrictions preemptively on individuals deemed likely to commit serious cyber offenses. Foster noted that CCROs would “enable earlier law enforcement interventions against high-risk cyber-crime offenders.”
Flowers was arrested on 16 September 2024 in relation to the TfL hack that began on 31 August. During the arrest, authorities confiscated numerous electronic devices from his bedroom, including laptops, desktops, hard drives, and USB storage. They also reportedly discovered cryptocurrency assets valued at millions of pounds. The ongoing investigation revealed that computer systems belonging to two US healthcare providers, SSM Health and Sutter Health, had been compromised. Flowers later admitted guilt for hacking offenses related to these breaches and is currently wanted in the United States. After being charged, he was released on strict bail conditions but violated these terms twice in early and mid-2025.
Jubair, Flowers’ co-defendant, also had a lengthy history with law enforcement. In 2023, while still a minor, he was given a Youth Rehabilitation Order for offenses connected to the hacking group Lapsus$, which attacked major corporations such as Nvidia and BT/EE. Due to his age at the time, his identity was protected and not publicly disclosed. With 22 prior convictions dating back to when he was only 14, Jubair is wanted in the US as well for his involvement in cyber-crimes that allegedly extorted and stole a total of $87 million (£66.1 million) from victims
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