Interpol arrests 25 suspected Anonymous hackers in international sweep

Washington, Feb 29 (ANI): Twenty-five suspected members of notorious Internet hacking group Anonymous have been arrested in a sweep across Europe and South America, the International Police agency has said.

Interpol said in a statement that the arrests in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Spain were carried out by national law enforcement officers working under the support of the agency's Latin American Working Group of Experts on Information Technology Crime.

According to Fox News, the suspects, aged between 17 and 40, were arrested for allegedly planning coordinated cyberattacks against institutions including Colombia's defense ministry and presidential websites, Chile's Endesa electricity company and national library, as well as other targets.

In Chile, Subprefect Jamie Jara said that authorities arrested five Chileans and a Colombian.

Jara said the arrests resulted from a recently begun investigation and officials do not yet know if those arrested are tied to any "illicit group."

Genral Carlos Mena, commander of Colombia's Judicial Police, said no one was arrested in Colombia, but he noted that some Colombians had been arrested elsewhere, including Chile.

Argentina has yet not released any official statements, but a media website in the country based its story on the Interpol statement, which says ten people were arrested in Argentina.

Meanwhile, police in Spain announced the arrest of four suspected Anonymous hackers in connection with attacks on Spanish political party websites.

Anonymous has become increasingly politicized amid a global clampdown on music piracy and the international controversy over the secret-spilling site WikiLeaks, with which many of its supporters identify.

Authorities in Europe, North America and elsewhere have made dozens of arrests, and Anonymous has increasingly attacked law enforcement, military and intelligence-linked targets in retaliation. (ANI)