The SBU stopped the activity of a private detective agency in city of Kyiv.
Its representatives sold information from private databases of law enforcement and public authorities.

The operatives established that the illegal business was organized by a former National Police officer under the guise of an “international detective agency”. The group included active-duty and former officers of law enforcement and regulatory bodies. Among the members of the group was an official of the regional department of the State Tax Service of Ukraine, an official of a state financial institution and managers of a Ukrainian insurance company.

Allegedly, the “detectives” specialized in the sale of information from the Safe Capital database, which contains information about vehicle movements and flow of customers' funds in banking institutions. The offenders also sold data from databases of the State Tax Service, the National Police, the State Border Guard Service, as well as judicial bodies.

If needed, the perpetrators conducted illegal visual surveillance and hacked email accounts and messengers. The cost of their “services” was up to USD 2000, depending on the complexity of the task and the amount of information.

The law enforcement documented 9 facts of systematic data sales via anonymous channel of a popular messenger. Also, the offenders provided information to the customers from Russia and Crimea.

The SBU conducted searches in Kyiv, Dnipro, Vinnytsia and Kropyvnytskyi cities. The SBU officers found and seized computer equipment and media used to obtain and transmit confidential information in the offenders’ residences and premises of detective agency. Also, they seized documents, sensitive audio recordings, access key to the unified register of pre-trial investigations and other evidence of illegal activity.

The investigation is ongoing. The issue of serving the organizer and four accomplices suspicion notices to of unauthorized access to private databases and computer systems, disclosure of trade or banking secrets and abuse of office, is being resolved.

The operation was conducted by the SBU Main Directorate in Kyiv and Kyiv Region under supervision of Kyiv Local Prosecutor's Office no. 4.