MONTREAL — Six people have been arrested in connection with attacks that paralyzed Quebec websites.
The arrests were made in an operation that involved five police forces -- the RCMP, the Surete du Quebec, and three municipal forces.
Members of the group are expected to face a variety of charges, including mischief, conspiracy, and unlawful use of a computer. Three of them are minors.
The arrests took place in Rimouski, Sherbrooke, Forestville, Montreal and Longueuil, Que.
Police are saying little else -- such as whether those arrested are suspected of acting under the guise of the activist group Anonymous, or what websites they're accused of attacking.
In an act of opposition to the province's protest law, self-described members of Anonymous have hacked into a variety of websites linked to the Quebec government -- including the province's education and public-safety departments, as well as that of the provincial Liberal party.
Those charged will appear via videoconference before a judge at Montreal's courthouse.
"Police authorities want to indicate that they take this kind of crime very seriously," the police said in a statement.
"They will use every means at their disposition to find the authors. These people expose themselves to criminal charges, regardless of whatever intention prompted their action."
The police offered no other clues about the case, other than to say the attacks were on "public" and "parapublic" websites. They said they did not want to jeopardize their ongoing case by sharing details.
