A Galway student accused by the FBI of being a founding member of an international hacking splinter group has said he is “frightened” by the prospect of the unfolding investigation.

Gardaí have arrested one of five men being sought in connection with the activities of computer-hacking collective LulzSec.

A sensitive conference call between FBI and British police’s cybercrime investigators was recorded by the very people they were trying to catch, officials and hackers said.