Six months after two Irish students were named as being allegedly involved in some of the world’s most infamous hacking incidents, neither has faced any prosecution — even though their former associates have faced stiff penalties.

When a US court charged two Irish students in their absence for their alleged involvement in some of the world’s most notorious hacking scandals, the FBI’s New York field office issued a release highlighting the international nature of the investigation and all the forces involved on either side of the Atlantic.

A suspected hacker wanted by the FBI and arrested over cyber plots by online anarchists Anonymous and LulzSec has been released without charge.

The FBI has accused two Irish students of being among the ringleaders in one of the world’s most disruptive internet hacking organisations.

A teenager studying at Trinity College Dublin boasted he could electronically track the movements of the head of the Garda cybercrime unit “24/7”.