A Lithuanian court rejected a US extradition request for a suspected cyber-criminal accused of defrauding online stores. The country's appeals court said that Paulius Kalpokas' alleged offences took place within Lithuania.

Kalpokas, 24, was arrested in his home country in the autumn of 2006 in a joint operation by Lithuanian and US officials. He is charged with the illegal appropriation and exchange of credit card data and money via the sites of Internet stores.

If Kalpokas was extradited to the US he would face much stronger penalties than he would in his home country. The court said that Lithuanian legal institutions have priority for the investigation of the alleged crime as it was conducted from Lithuania.

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