Police in central China's Hubei Province say they have arrested six
people in connection with the spread of the notorious computer
virus known as "Xiongmao Shaoxiang", or "Panda burning joss
stick".
The virus, which infects program files and flashes a picture of
a panda holding three joss sticks, has been spreading through the
Internet since December. It has infected millions of computers
nationwide, according the provincial public security bureau on
Monday.
The bureau says it is the first time they have made arrests
involving a major Internet virus that originated in China.
The virus can also steal the account names and passwords of
online game players and popular chat sites. It was listed as the
worst computer virus last year by a major Chinese anti-virus
company known as Rising.
Internet authorities say Li Jun, 25, a resident in the
provincial capital of Wuhan, wrote virus program and let it loose
on the Internet last October. The authorities say Li confessed to
selling the virus to 12 people for 100,000 yuan (US$12,887).
Li also produced the "Wuhan boy" virus, "Wuhan boy 2005" virus
and "QQ tail" virus, sources say.
Five other suspects, who used the virus to steal accounts of
online gamers, have also been detained.
(Xinhua News Agency February 14, 2007)