Cops close probe into population registry leak

Jerusalem District police have closed the investigation into who leaked Israel's population registry onto the Internet, after determining there were too many potential suspects.

Two years ago, an anonymous Web user posted an announcement stating that he or she had Israel's updated population registry and would sell it to anyone willing to pay. The registry contains the names, relatives' names and addresses of all Israeli residents.

Jerusalem District Police launched an investigation in November 2007, at the request of the Interior Ministry.

The ministry gave investigators the names of 22 bodies that had legally received the registry, including political parties and computer companies that maintain the ministry's databases.

Police found that the online list was current through March 2007, but that the sheer number of potential suspects made it nearly impossible to solve the case - each body privy to the information employed hundreds of workers.

"The investigators realized that tens of thousands of people may be potential suspects. Meanwhile, they tried to find out who posted the announcement online, but failed to do so," said a source close to the investigation.