Man Accused of Decade-Old Uni Hack Allegedly Found in NZ with Three Passports

A Queensland man, Hussein I'lachi, has been arrested and charged with a decade-old hack on Griffith University, despite Australian authorities locating his brother in New Zealand six years earlier. The alleged hacker, Adam Alachi, is believed to have stolen the login details of over 100 Griffith staff and students in 2013.

In 2017, Immigration New Zealand found Hussein's brother, Adam Alachi, allegedly using three different names and alerted Australian authorities. However, six years later, Hussein was arrested under his brother's name for the alleged crime.

The case raises questions about how strong the communication lines are between state and federal authorities, and how Hussein I'lachi was charged under the wrong name.

The Alleged Hack

In June 2013, a student at Griffith University's Gold Coast campus accused a fellow student of threatening to delete their marks from the university's intranet. After the threat, the student's mark on a recent assignment was changed to a zero.

The university investigation alleged that a student had allegedly "searched for and downloaded" software, which made a record of every key pressed on a computer, and was capable of capturing logins, credit card details, and other private matters.

The Investigation

Police alleged that Adam Alachi, a pharmacological science student at the university's Gold Coast campus, had downloaded copies of upcoming examinations and sold some to other students.

On October 10, 2013, police raided Adam Alachi's Upper Coomera home on the Gold Coast, seizing multiple computers, hard drives, and mobile phones.

The Charges Dropped

Hussein I'lachi was arrested at the Carina police station in February 2023, accused of being the alleged offender. However, the charges were eventually dropped due to a "catastrophic memory drive failure" causing the case to fall over.

Despite having identification, Hussein appeared at the Brisbane Magistrates Court under his brother's name four times before the charges were dropped.

The Alleged Connection

Prosecutors in the 2017 case have listed Adam Alachi – the name of the alleged hacker at Griffith – as a known alias of the man found in New Zealand, but that link does not appear to have been made when his presence was brought to the attention of the Australian authorities.

The Lack of Investigation

The ABC understands that there has not been an AFP investigation into Mr Alachi, and the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecutions said they had not prosecuted the individual involved.

DFAT would not comment on the situation.

Date
June 2013	A student accuses a fellow student of threatening to delete their marks from the university's intranet. The student's mark is changed to a zero.
October 10, 2013	Police raid Adam Alachi's Upper Coomera home on the Gold Coast, seizing multiple computers, hard drives, and mobile phones.
February 2023	Hussein I'lachi is arrested at the Carina police station, accused of being the alleged offender.
May 2023	The charges against Hussein I'lachi are dropped due to a "catastrophic memory drive failure" causing the case to fall over.

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