Japan cyber probe cops find cat collar clue to anonymous hacker

TOKYO (AFP) - Police in Japan who have for months been taunted by an anonymous hacker have found a digital memory card attached to an animal's collar after solving a set of emailed riddles, reports said on Monday.

The discovery was made after messages were sent to newspapers and broadcasters, with the sender claiming details of a computer virus were strapped to a cat living on an island near Tokyo.

The development is the latest in a bizarre investigation which has previously seen threats made against a number of venues - including a school and a kindergarten attended by grandchildren of Emperor Akihito - sent from computers around the country.

Japan's well-resourced National Police Agency (NPA) was embarrassed after it emerged that officers had extracted "confessions" from four people who had nothing to do with the emails.