Interpol to crack down on cyber crime

TEL AVIV, Israel – The president of the global police network Interpol says fighting cyber crime is a top priority this year.

Interpol is holding its conference in Israel for the first time.

Khoo Boon Hui told a conference of 49 European member states on Tuesday that online crime is increasing and crossing borders. He pointed to a recent study by London Metropolitan University that found 80 percent of cyber crime is connected to international organized gangs.

Hui said Malaysian police last month arrested more than 200 cyber scammers from China and Taiwan in two syndicates managed from Taiwan.

Hackers penetrated the Interpol Web site this year.

Online crime costs Europe annually about 750 billion euros, or $977 billion, he said.

Hui said Interpol will open a digital security complex in Singapore in 2014.