Two computer hackers from Ukraine and Israel have been detained in the Turkish resort town of Kemer on suspicion of selling confidential information about the United States to al-Qaeda, the Sabah newspaper reported, according to RIA Novosti.

According to Sabah, Ukrainian Maxim Yastremsky and Israeli Maxim Turchak were placed on the international wanted list by U.S. authorities following the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks for selling information about U.S. airports and the Pentagon to followers of Osama bin Laden, the al-Qaeda leader.

Видео дня

Turkish authorities identified Yastremsky and Turchak when they arrived in Antalya, on the Mediterranean coast, from Ukraine, and immediately notified U.S. intelligence. Acting on a U.S. request, Turkish police detained the two three days later in a Kemer discotheque.

In addition to two false passports, authorities seized two personal computers containing the personal information of 5,000 U.S. and European credit card holders.

An investigation revealed that the hackers worked in collusion with Turkish cyber-criminals, selling them personal credit card data obtained by breaking into computer databases.

The U.S. has requested their extradition, and the two are being held in a pre-trial detention center pending a decision.