KGB Reveals Criminal Surveillance Group
On October 29, the KGB published the press release that a special operation had been held to detain a group of people who eavesdropped on businessmen, politicians, journalists of state-run and independent media for three years.
According to the report, the KGB held over 80 searches, revealed around 1500 purchasers of unlawful services. For three years, the detainees conducted bugging and eavesdropping, cracking e‑mails and accounts for communications in Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, of social accounts. Special equipment and foreign currency were confiscated.
Criminal cases have been initiated against the suspects under art. 376, part 2 of the Criminal Code (unlawful production, purchase or sales of means of secret obtaining of information, organized by a group of people in conspiracy). The article envisages an imprisonment of up to 4 years.
Also, there are over 20 criminal cases against purchases of the services under art. 203 of the Criminal Code (violation of privacy of correspondence, phone calls and other type of communication, postal, telegraph or other messages).
The KGB is carrying out operational-search and investigative activities aimed to reveal and document other episodes of the unlawful activities of the suspects, and to establish all clients of the criminal group and the people affected by the activities.