Earlier this week, Spanish police arrested 19-year-old Jose Luis Huertas, one of the country's most prolific hackers, after a nearly two-year investigation. One of the reasons police were able to track him down was that he "lived a life of luxury that was not appropriate for his age, and he did not have a job."

According to Bleeping Computer (opens in new tab), the hacker, known as "Arcasek," broke into government networks, stole data on 575,000 taxpayers, created a search engine called "Woodiat" and sold the data to other The hacker was involved in several cyber-attacks in Spain, including selling the data to hackers in the United States.

Spanish police said they were able to trace Huertas, linking him to the transactions with the help of the National Crypto Center, even though he was using a cryptocurrency mixing service to conceal his identity.

Alcasek's hacking exploits began when he was 15 years old when he hacked into Burger King's ordering system and "forced the Madrid store to give away free hamburgers to customers," according to the SUR newspaper (opens in new tab). He also hacked HBO and gave away 150,000 free accounts on his Instagram, earning him fame as a "Robin Hood" hacker. Alcasek is also accused of impersonating media mogul Paolo Basile and stealing 300,000 euros from him, according to Bleeping Computer.

In a statement, the Spanish National Police (open in new tab) called Alcasek "a very serious threat to national security" and an expert in "crypto assets and fund hiding." According to police, he once boasted on YouTube that he had access to "90% of the information of Spanish citizens."

A search of Alcasek's home uncovered "a large amount of cash, numerous documents, items, and computer media that investigators are analyzing." According to police, he "led a lavish lifestyle that was not appropriate for a man of his age and had no job." He traveled expensively, wore luxury brands, frequented fashionable leisure establishments and restaurants, and even drove a fast car.

Huertas will remain in custody until his trial, as he is a flight risk due to his potential wealth in the form of undisclosed cryptocurrency. Investigators added that if he is released before his trial date, he could flee or destroy evidence.