BRUSSELS – Belgian detectives carried out nine raids on Tuesday in a joint sting with French police aimed at illegal computer ‘hacker’ networks.

The French press agency AFP reported that about nine people were being questioned in Brussels, Charleroi, Nivelles and Verviers.

A further 46 suspects were under investigation in France, with most living in the region of Paris.

Many of the suspects were minors, said AFP.

They are believed to have hacked into the computer networks and servers of companies and universities, copying information, such as codes, and selling them on to internet surfers.

The investigation, involving a Belgian squad specialising in internet piracy, comes after five people were convicted in the north of France for hacking in January.

Senlis court gave the five each between two to six months suspended prison terms for counterfeiting and diffusing 4,000 CD-ROMS, containing video games, films and music.

[Copyright Expatica 2005]

Subject: Belgian news