They say the Gozi virus was used to access personal bank information and steal millions of dollars in 2005-11.

The suspects – a Russian, a Latvian and a Romanian – ran a “modern-day bank robbery ring, that required neither a gun or a mask”, the prosecutors say. The three men – all in their 20s – have already been arrested.

The ongoing US government investigation alleges that the scheme began in Europe and later spread to the US, where at one stage more than 190 computers belonging to America’s Nasa space agency were infected.

They say that Mr Kuzmin and his co-defenders – nicknamed Virus and Miami – have managed to produce at least $50m (£32m) in illegal profits using the virus.

Source: BBC News