MATSUYAMA, Ehime Pref. (Kyodo) Police announced Tuesday that investigation documents including personal information on crime victims have been leaked onto the Internet via a chief inspector's virus-infected personal computer.

The incident follows the revelation last week of an Okayama Prefectural Police leak of data on 1,500 people found posted on the Internet and confidential data leaked from PCs of Self-Defense Forces personnel.

In all cases, the file-sharing software Winny was downloaded into the computers from which the information was leaked, police said.

The National Police Agency issued a notice Tuesday banning the use of Winny software by police officers.

Ehime Police said the investigative data were produced by the 42-year-old inspector from around 1997 through last April via his own computer. The inspector installed Winny in summer 2003.