Japan police chief climbs down over cyber arrests

Japan's most senior policeman began an embarrassing climbdown Thursday after his officers arrested four people over cyber threats issued when their computers were apparently hacked.

Emails containing threats to attack targets including a school and a kindergarten attended by Emperor Akihito's grandchildren were sent from infected computers in different parts of the country.

The computer owners were arrested and held, in one case for several weeks, in a system where custody conditions are harsher than those in other developed countries and where police rely heavily on confessions.

Two of the suspects reportedly admitted sending the emails before a...

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The internet has made the exchange of information and ideas faster and more convenient. At the same time, it brings some complications and problems. This case of cyber crime in Japan illustrates how difficult it can be to track down cyber criminals.