RNW

State-owned Dutch bank ABN Amro has been robbed by computer hackers who stole 5.5 million euros without inside help.

A report in daily about the digital heist is partly denied, however, by the Dutch Association of Banks NVB, which says it is nearly impossible to hack a bank from outside.

Thirteen people have been arrested for the virtual robbery, which took place in March 2010. Sources close to the investigation say that the hackers were able to manipule the bank's account system, but neither police nor ABN Amro are giving any details.

The hackers transferred the money to an accomplice in the town of Wageningen who piped amounts to accounts in Belgium, Hungary and other countries.

The thirteen, who do not all know each other, have been accused of fraud, theft and money laundering. Police found them by tracing the stolen money. Some 2 million euros have been retrieved by ABN Amro, but the remaining amount is still missing.