Interpol Announces Arrest of 25 Anonymous Hackers

By Jeralyn, Section Crime in the News
Posted on Tue Feb 28, 2012 at 09:09:43 PM EST
Tags: Anonymous (all tags)

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Law enforcement officers swept through Europe and South America today, arresting 25 suspected Anonymous hackers in Argentina, Chile, Colombia and Spain.

The arrests followed an ongoing investigation begun in mid-February, which comprised searches of 40 locations in 15 cities and included the seizure of 250 pieces of information technology equipment and mobile phones, Interpol said.

....Anonymous has no real membership structure. Hackers, activists, and supporters can claim allegiance to its freewheeling principles so it is not clear what impact the arrests will have.

Perhaps in response, Anonymous has taken down Interpol's website. It's still down. [More...]

About Interpol:

Interpol, whose headquarters are in Lyon, France, has no arrest or investigative powers. It facilitates intelligence sharing to help police forces around the world work together.

Sky News has more, as does the BBC.

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Interpol Announces Arrest of 25 Anonymous Hackers | 12 comments (12 topical)

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Interpol (none / 0) (#1)
by ScottW714 on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 08:57:52 AM EST

They are becoming enables of brutal regimes using Red Notices. Sending political refugees back home to be tortured, murdered, and or just disappear.
Shameful. LINK

40 residences and 25 arrests ? Not exactly a raging sucess. And when did Interpol get into the hacker business, thought they chased murders, war criminals, child sex offenders, and poachers ?

I do share in their fascination with Leif Erikson.

And such minor "crimes"... (none / 0) (#2)
by kdog on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 09:15:33 AM EST

if you can even call it "crime", hacking some political party websites (public service?) and a couple energy companies who more than likely had it coming if Anonymous chose to target them.

Thats an Interpol matter? What a joke...the establishment's slip is showing...and the harder they come, the harder they will fall.

That is there job (none / 0) (#3)
by nyjets on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 09:29:21 AM EST

Interpol jobs is to handle crimes at a global stage. Anonymous operates at an international level so Interpol would investigate them.
Furthermore, Anonymous has zero right to hack into anyone website. If they are doing that they are criminals. If you allow them to hack into someone website, they can hack into anyone's website
Furthermore, who give Anonymous the right to decide who should or should not be hacked. If you decide that they have that right, they can hack into anyone website with impunity.


Major crimes... (none / 0) (#4)
by kdog on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 09:39:41 AM EST

like Scott mentioned...murder, kidnapping..not the internet equivalent of graffiti.

Who gave Interpol the right to meddle in such trivial matters, leading to the harm of 25 human beings? I don't recall voting for that sh*t.

One Twitter account purportedly associated with Anonymous' Brazilian wing said the sweep would fail.
"Interpol, you can't take Anonymous," the message read. "It's an idea."

Linkage

Good luck trying to arrest your way to victory over an idea...desperation is a stinky cologne coppers.


what about the harm caused by Anonymous (none / 0) (#5)
by nyjets on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 09:59:39 AM EST

Hacking into people and organizations website is not a trivial crime. The amount of damage that can be done is enormouse. Interpol has every right into 'meddle' in this 'trivial' matter.
The only harm being done is the harm committed by the 25 people from Anonymous


Weird outlook ya got there... (5.00 / 1) (#7)
by kdog on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 10:05:05 AM EST

hacking a website...enormous harm.

placing a human being in chains and a cage...no harm there.

Very strange.


Enourmous Harm ? (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by ScottW714 on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 10:51:10 AM EST

You might want to look up that first word, they aren't lifting credit cars or jacking customer info. At best, they are a pain in the a$$ to some companies, at worst, exposing shady and possibly illegal activity by our own government. Enormous, maybe, but in not in the sense you are using it. It's trivial in regards to criminal activity.

No offense, but they are using resources to catch hackers which leaves less resources to catch mass murders and child porn creators. It's glaringly obvious special interest has bought another law enforcement agency.

I for one respect most, not all, of the work they have done, ditto for Wikileaks. I am tired of being lied to and having decisions made in my name, with my money and being told complete Bull$hit.

I am tired of it, and I am really tired of people all up in arms about the messenger and giving the diabolical a pass because their misdeeds were uncovered by questionable means.


I hear that... (5.00 / 1) (#9)
by kdog on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 11:09:18 AM EST

So tiresome...totally legal for authorities the world over to lie, cheat, and steal three ways to Sunday...but god forbid some kids try to expose a small slice of it, throw a wrench in the tyrannical works...Interpol is put on red alert.

I noticed two of the 25 are only 17 years old, Interpol must be so proud....f8ckin' bullies.


Real International Criminals... (5.00 / 1) (#10)
by ScottW714 on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 02:07:45 PM EST

... sigh in relief.

I wonder if the kids lived at home and what kind of raids these were. Still odd to me that they raided 40 places and only ended up with 25 people.

I would think this kind of heavy handed approach only encourages hackers. If there is one thing I love about hackers, is they love to prove they are can do it when told they can't.


Indeed... (5.00 / 1) (#11)
by kdog on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 02:40:41 PM EST

if they think they're detering further actions by hackers and/or Anonymous they're delusional...they're just upping the ante.


: They're going to keep (none / 0) (#12)
by sj on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 11:19:43 PM EST

upping the ante until the authorities foment a real live revolution somewhere that they don't want it.

erm - Jeralyn? (none / 0) (#6)
by smott on Wed Feb 29, 2012 at 10:02:13 AM EST

Earlier post deleted?...