An Israeli newspaper has made a startling claim, stating that Pakistan’s intelligence agency has acquired Israeli technology to hack mobile phones. According to the report, an Israeli cyber technology firm, Celebrate Asia Pacific, sold its products to Pakistani companies and the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) until 2019.
The report highlights that the FIA and the police have been utilizing the products from the Israeli firm since 2012. The tools, initially sold to Singapore, have reportedly been used by these Pakistani agencies for mobile phone hacking purposes.
In 2012, the Sindh Police reportedly procured UFED Touch Ultimate devices from the Israeli firm Celebrate. The report also reveals that other countries such as Belarus, China, Uganda, Venezuela, Indonesia, Philippines, Russia, Ethiopia, and Bangladesh are among the clients of the Israeli cyber technology firm.
In response to the Israeli newspaper’s report, Celebrate Asia Pacific denied any direct or indirect sales to Pakistan and refrained from explaining its relationship with Singapore shipment certificates for Pakistan and Pakistani government tenders. The company maintained that it only sells its devices to security forces and police departments.
However, the Israeli Ministry of Defense has yet to provide a response to the report. The revelation of such technology usage raises concerns about privacy and cybersecurity in the country.
