A TEENAGER who helped run a multimillion-pound internet crime forum has been sentenced to four years in custody.

Ryan Thomas, 18, of Howard Road, Seer Green, was one of a group of fraudsters who traded unlawfully obtained credit card details and tools to commit computer offences.

Thomas was the 'moderator' of the website Ghostmarket.Net, which had more than 8,000 users at its peak, a court heard.

More than 130,000 credit card numbers were recovered from the group's computers, which police said represented a potential loss of more than £15 million.

Nicholas Webber, 19, a student of Cavendish Road, Southsea, was said to be the founder and administrator of the website, and was jailed for five years.

He and Thomas had pleaded guilty at Southwark Crown Court to conspiracy to make or supply articles for use in fraud, encouraging or assisting offenders, and conspiracy to commit fraud.

In October 2009, Webber and Thomas were arrested at a five star central London hotel for using stolen credit card details to pay for accommodation in the penthouse suite.

They claimed to have responded to an online advert, saying they had paid money to an anonymous individual.

Bailed to return whilst officers conducted further inquiries, items including their laptops were seized.

Police said the duo's involvement in the GhostMarket forum was soon established and inquiries were made to trace them after they failed to return on bail in relation to the stolen credit card offence.

It was later discovered the pair had flown out to Palma, Majorca, where they had been living in a rented flat in Port D'andrax. In January 2010 they were arrested at Gatwick Airport as they flew in from Palma.

The following day a search of Webber's home address revealed a computer containing a series of files outlining a step-by-step guide to committing various criminal offences, police said.

Gary Kelly, 21, of Clively Avenue, Manchester, was also jailed for five years for his involvement in the website.

Shakira Ricardo, 21, of King's Road, Swansea, was jailed for a total of 18 months.

Detective Inspector Colin Wetherill, of the Metropolitan Police force, said after the sentencing last week: “These defendants were accomplished cyber criminals, engaged in the systematic mass infection of computers in homes and businesses in the UK and overseas.

“They unlawfully harvested personal and financial information from their victims to be exploited for financial gain.

“The GhostMarket crime forum was used by thousands of computer criminals and fraudsters operating worldwide.

“Through it the defendants built an extensive criminal network to facilitate the wholesale trade of compromised credit card details, confidential financial and personal information, malicious computer programmes, and other sophisticated tools and criminal services.”