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)