Cyprus Police Investigate Israeli Owner’s ‘Spy’ Van

Cypriot police have confiscated a van reportedly loaded with sophisticated surveillance equipment. (AP)
Cypriot police have confiscated a van reportedly loaded with sophisticated surveillance equipment. (AP)
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Cyprus Police Investigate Israeli Owner’s ‘Spy’ Van

Cypriot police have confiscated a van reportedly loaded with sophisticated surveillance equipment. (AP)
Cypriot police have confiscated a van reportedly loaded with sophisticated surveillance equipment. (AP)

Cypriot police have confiscated a van reportedly loaded with sophisticated surveillance equipment and have questioned its Israeli owner following media reports that the vehicle was being hired out to spy on people.

Police said Saturday that officers also searched the office of the Israeli’s Cyprus-registered company that is being investigated on possible violations of privacy rights laws, reported The Associated Press.

Police chief Kypros Michaelides told private radio station Astra that authorities are also questioning the Larnaca-based company’s other Cypriot shareholders and are looking into how this van and other surveillance equipment was imported into the country.

The police probe was initiated after local media highlighted an earlier Forbes report on the Israeli it identified as a former intelligence officer who showed off the $9 million van’s spying capabilities.



Britain Announces Fresh Russia Shipping Sanctions

Plastic letters arranged to read "Sanctions" are placed in front of Russian flag colors in this illustration taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Plastic letters arranged to read "Sanctions" are placed in front of Russian flag colors in this illustration taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
TT

Britain Announces Fresh Russia Shipping Sanctions

Plastic letters arranged to read "Sanctions" are placed in front of Russian flag colors in this illustration taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo
Plastic letters arranged to read "Sanctions" are placed in front of Russian flag colors in this illustration taken February 25, 2022. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo

Britain said on Thursday it had sanctioned five ships and two other shipping entities under its Russian sanctions regime.
Earlier this month Britain slapped sanctions on 10 further ships in Russia's so-called "shadow fleet" of vessels which it says use illicit practices to avoid Western restrictions on Russian oil, Reuters reported.
Russia rejects Western pressure to limit its oil exports, and in the past year there has been a growth in the number of tankers transporting cargoes that are not regulated or insured by conventional Western providers.
Thursday's sanctioned entities were White Fox Ship Management and Ocean Speedstar Solutions OPC. The ships were Asya Energy, Pioneer, North Sky, SCF La Perouse and Nova Energy.