A GLASGOW man was arrested as part of a worldwide crackdown on computer crime.

FBI agents and Europol — the European Union's law enforcement agency — arrested 80 people in a series of raids.

The massive operation targeted the alleged use of Blackshades software, which can remotely control people's computers and webcams.

A Police Scotland spokesman said: "A 22-year-old man from Glasgow has been charged with offences under the Computer Misuse Act."

He is expected to appear at court a later date and a report has been sent to the procurator fiscal.

During the operation, around 300 house searches were carried out worldwide.

More than 1000 data storage devices were seized, including computers, laptops, mobile phones, external hard drives and USB memory sticks.

The UK's National Crime Agency confirmed 15 people were arrested in England and a 22-year-old man was held in St Andrews.

Other people were arrested in countries including the USA, France, Germany, Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, Austria, Estonia, Denmark, Canada, Chile, Croatia and Italy.

Malware software is used to infect computers when people click on links that they believe to be pictures and videos.European police told how an 18-year-old man in the Netherlands infected at least 2000 computers with Blackshades, controlling the victim's webcams to take pictures of women and girls.

Mr Troels Oerting, Head of Europol's European Cybercrime Centre (EC3), said: "This case is yet another example of the critical need for co-ordinated law enforcement operations against the growing number of cyber criminals operating on an EU and global level.

"The work is far from over, but our co-operation to work together across borders has increased and we are dealing with cases on an ongoing basis."

Police in the UK have also arrested men in Birmingham, Wolverhampton, Devon, Liverpool, Manchester and London.

rebecca.gray @eveningtimes.co.uk