Pakistan

FIA, police spy agencies using Israeli hacking tools since 2012: report

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Cellebrite’s products allow hacking into password-protected cellphones.
Invitations for bids show police, FIA regularly use these systems.
The firm says it “does not sell to Pakistan, directly or indirectly”.

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and other police agencies in Pakistan have been using hacking tools produced by Israeli cyber technology firm since at least 2012, a report published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz revealed on Thursday.

The report said Cellebrite, the Israeli tech firm, products law enforcement agencies to engage in digital forensic work by hacking into password-protected cellphones and copying all the information stored on them – including pictures, documents, text messages, calling histories and contacts.

The Israeli newspaper quoted local media in Pakistan as reporting that in 2012 that the Sindh police had acquired a flagship product UFED Touch Ultimate devices made by Cellebrite, and their use has been expanding since.

The report further said that operating manuals, documents and official invitations for bids show that police and FIA regularly use these systems.

The report further said spyware connection between Israel and Pakistan has crossed decades, political parties and ruling administrations.

In 2021, the FIA issued a tender during the tenure of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government for the hacking devices, a period during which Cellbrite’s Singapore subsidiary continued to sell its products directly to Pakistan.

The report also said in May the Peshawar police also issued a tender for the acquisition of Israeli hacking tools.

In its response to this article, Cellebrite stated: “The company does not sell to Pakistan, directly or indirectly.”

It added that Cellebrite is committed to its goal of creating a safer world by providing solutions for law enforcement bodies that permit them to solve crimes more quickly.

“For that purpose, we have developed strict means of oversight that ensure proper use of our technology in the context of investigations carried out by virtue of the law. As a global leader in digital intelligence, Cellebrite’s solutions assist thousands of law enforcement agencies to convict those who endanger public security and to do justice to the victims of crime.”

In 2021, a collaborative investigation by The Washington Post, The Guardian, Le Monde and other media outlets revealed that an Israeli firm was involved in hacking tens of thousands of smartphone numbers, including activists, journalists, business executives and politicians around the world.

The investigative report said then-prime minister Imran Khan’s number was also targeted by the NSO Group and its Pegasus malware, which is capable of switching a phone’s camera or microphone on and harvesting its data.

Israel’s Haaretz earlier reported that India targeted a phone which was earlier in then-PM Khan’s use, through the malware.

Reacting to the reports, Pakistan had called on the relevant United Nations bodies to thoroughly investigate India’s use of Israeli spyware against Khan and others.

“We have noted with serious concern in recent international media reports exposing Indian government’s organised spying operations against its own citizens, foreigners as well as then-premier Khan, using an Israeli origin spyware,” the Foreign Office in a statement on July 23, 2021.

Business

In interbank trade, the Pakistani rupee modestly appreciates versus the US dollar.

Published

17 hours ago

Farwa

In the interbank market, the Pakistani Rupee increased by 0.03% against the US dollar during Monday’s early trading session.

The rupee strengthened by 8 paise against the dollar, reaching 278.48 as of 10:10 a.m. By ending at 278.56, the rupee had lost 9 paise the day before.

Globally, Monday saw a minor decline in the US dollar, but it was still close to its two-year high. In order to obtain additional understanding of the Federal Reserve’s interest rate strategy, traders are anticipating US economic data, namely the December non-farm payrolls report.

The Chinese yuan also garnered notice when, following a strong defense by the People’s Bank of China in December, it dropped below the psychological level of 7.3 per dollar for the first time in 14 months.

Last spotted, the offshore yuan increased by 0.15% to 7.3487 per US dollar, while the onshore yuan fell by 0.05% to 7.3252 per US dollar.

The speeches that various Federal Reserve policymakers are scheduled to give this week, in which they are anticipated to restate their positions on inflation and the continuous fight against price increases, are also attracting market attention.

Expectations of fewer interest rate reduction from the Fed have helped the US dollar gain strength, and last week it reached a two-year high. Meanwhile, the euro fell to its lowest level in more than two years.

Latest News

Drugs worth $1 million are seized by the Pakistan Navy in the North Arabian Sea.

Published

5 days ago

Farwa

Pakistan Navy Ship PNS MOAWIN, according to ISPR, used naval air assets to perform a boarding operation on a suspicious boat and confiscate the drugs that were concealed in the ship’s hidden compartments.

An estimated one million US dollars is the international market value of the narcotics that were seized.

International shipping lanes were being used to deliver this shipment of drugs.

Within the region’s maritime borders, the Pakistan Navy is always engaged in stopping all types of illicit activity, ISPR continued.

A spokesperson for the ANF Headquarters stated that earlier, during seven operations, another security unit of the nation’s anti-narcotics unit (ANF) seized more than 149 kg of drugs valued at more than Rs 40 million and detained four drug dealers.

He reported that 30 capsules containing heroin had been found in the stomach of a traveler at Peshawar International Airport who was headed to Jeddah.

Another operation resulted in the arrest of a suspect after 31 inebriated tablets were found in a package close to an Islamabad park.

150 grams of ice were found in a package that was shipped to Australia via a Karachi courier service.

90 kilograms of opium and 10 kg of heroin that had been concealed for smuggling were found during an operation in the Balochistani district of Chagai.

In the fifth operation, 45 kg of hashish was found in an uninhabited part of Balochistan’s Coastal Line Pasni. Three kilograms of hashish were found in Hyderabad on a suspect.

During the seventh operation, 500 grams of ice and 1 kilogram of heroin were found in the custody of a biker who was stopped close to the Iqbal Shaheed Toll Plaza Attock.

Additional investigations are underway, and cases have been filed under the Narcotics Control Act against the arrested suspect.

Latest News

Outsourcing of Airports: Deputy Prime Minister Commits to Transforming Aviation into a Profitable Sector

Published

6 days ago

Farwa

Deputy Prime Minister Ishaq Dar has instructed the implementation of all feasible measures to render aviation a viable industry and to enhance service quality for travelers.

He provided these directives while presiding over a meeting in Islamabad concerning the outsourcing of airports and the advancement of the aviation sector.