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Third teen TeamPoison hack suspect quizzed by cyber-cops

Lad cuffed in anti-terror hotline attack probe

British cyber-cops have arrested a third suspected member of the infamous TeaMp0isoN hacker crew.

The unnamed 17-year-old was cuffed in Newcastle on suspicion of breaking the Computer Misuse Act. Detectives seized computer equipment for forensic analysis, and quizzed the youngster on Wednesday at a nearby cop shop. Met Police said enquiries are ongoing and no charges have been brought:

On Wednesday evening, 9 May, the MPS Police Central eCrime Unit (PCeU), supported by officers from Northumberland Constabulary, arrested a 17-year-old man in Newcastle in connection with alleged offences against the Computer Misuse Act 1990.

The suspect, who is believed to use the online nickname 'MLT', is allegedly a member of and spokesperson for TeaMp0isoN ('TeamPoison') - a group which has claimed responsibility for more than 1,400 offences including denial of service and network intrusions where personal and private information has been illegally extracted from victims in the UK and around the world.

The man has been taken to a local police station for interview. Computer equipment has been seized and is undergoing a detailed forensic examination. Enquiries continue between the PCeU and other relevant law enforcement agencies in this continuing and wide-ranging investigation.

The arrest is part of an ongoing investigation by the PCeU into TeaMp0isoN, the politically motivated hacking team that caused a stink last year when it defaced a BlackBerry blog during the London riots and claimed responsibility for swamping the UK's counter-terrorism hotline with automated nuisance calls.

Two other teenagers were arrested days after the hotline DDoS attack early last month. ®

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