The far-reaching crackdown on Anonymous hackers throughout the U.S. yesterday extended across the pond, with officials in the UK and the Netherlands also making arrests.
The Metropolitan Police confirmed the arrest of a 16-year-old boy for suspected violations of the country's Computer Misuse Act. He was arrested in south London yesterday and is currently in custody at a central London police station. Officials did not release his identity, but FoxNews.com reported that the boy goes by TFlow, a name with links to the LulzSec collective. Officials also seized computer equipment from his home, police said.
Dutch police, meanwhile, arrested four suspects who are apparently part of Operation Anti-Security, an anti-government effort spearheaded by Anonymous and LulzSec.
The suspects range in age from 17 to 35 and are known online as Ziaolin, Calimero, DutchD3V1L, and Time. Their main goals are to steal and disclose confidential information from businesses and governments, according to the Dutch High Tech Crime Team. Police tracked them down with the help of Web security company Fox-IT, officials said in a statement.
Police also seized a dozen computers, external hard drives, and other media.
The arrests were made in conjunction with the FBI, which arrested 16 individuals on Tuesday for their involvement in a cyber attack against PayPal, and more. Fourteen alleged members of Anonymous were arrested in Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Massachusetts, Nevada, New Mexico, and Ohio. Two others were arrested on similar charges in complaints filed in Florida and New Jersey.
In a Tuesday tweet, the @AnonNewsNet feed taunted government officials. "75 vannings down, over 8,925 to go. At this pace, they'll finish the job at the dawn of 2014. Justice at the speed of government! #Anonymous."
The @AnonOps feed, meanwhile, said "the FEAR is the factor that the power used to silence us. Does not work with us, Never Forget, Never Forgive, Anonymous."
Hacker Sabu, who reportedly has ties to LulzSec, urged supporters to "dedicate sometime today to the fallen Anons who were arrested today. Reach out to them. Provide them support. Call EFF for them," he wrote, referring to the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
In recent months, officials in Turkey, Spain, and the UK have also arrested several people for their roles in hacks carried out by Anonymous and LulzSec.