"Notorious ‘Predator’ spyware firm Intellexa hit with new US sanctions" 18 September 2024

The United States leveled new sanctions against an international group of alleged senior figures from spyware group Intellexa, marking the second time this year the consortium has been targeted for the threat posed by its so-called “Predator” software.

The U.S. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced the sanctions on Monday, naming five people and one offshore company that allegedly played a role in “developing, operating, and distributing commercial spyware technology that presents a significant threat to the national security of the United States.”

The Intellexa consortium is a complex network of companies that has sold spyware technology to several repressive regimes, including a paramilitary group in Sudan and the Egyptian intelligence services. It was embroiled in a scandal in Greece after its Predator spyware was found to have infected the phones of businessmen, politicians, and journalists in that country...

"Treasury Sanctions Enablers of the Intellexa Commercial Spyware Consortium" 16 September 2024

Source: United States Department of the Treasury

The Intellexa Consortium is a complex international web of decentralized companies that built and commercialized a comprehensive suite of highly invasive spyware products, primarily marketed under the brand-name “Predator.” The consortium was founded by Tal Jonathan Dilian (Dilian), an individual designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended by E.O. 13757 (“E.O. 13694, as amended”)...

...Felix Bitzios (Bitzios) is the beneficial owner of an Intellexa Consortium company that was used to supply Predator spyware to a foreign government client. Bitzios also acted as the manager of Intellexa S.A., a company in the Intellexa Consortium that was designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended.

Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi is the beneficial owner of Thalestris Limited and Intellexa Limited, members of the Intellexa Consortium that were designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended. Thalestris Limited holds distribution rights to the Predator spyware, and is the parent company to Intellexa S.A. Thalestris Limited has been involved in processing transactions on behalf of other entities within the Intellexa Consortium.   

Merom Harpaz is a top executive of the Intellexa Consortium, and acted as a manager of Intellexa S.A.

Panagiota Karaoli is the director of multiple Intellexa Consortium entities that are controlled by or are a subsidiary of Thalestris Limited. 

Artemis Artemiou (Artemiou) is the general manager and member of the board of Cytrox Holdings Zartkoruen Mukodo Reszvenytarsasag (Cytrox Holdings), a member of the Intellexa Consortium that was designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended. Artemiou is also an employee of Intellexa S.A.

Aliada GroupInc. (Aliada Group), a British Virgin Islands-based company and member of the Intellexa Consortium, has enabled tens of millions of dollars of transactions involving the network. The Aliada Group is directed by Dilian. The Aliada Group was associated with Intellexa S.A. and Intellexa Limited, and held shares in Cytrox Holdings.

Felix Bitzios, Andrea Nicola Constantino Hermes Gambazzi, Merom Harpaz, Panagiota Karaoli, Artemis Artemiou¸ and the Aliada Group Inc. are being designated pursuant to E.O. 13694, as amended, for being responsible for or complicit in, or having engaged in, directly or indirectly, cyber-enabled activities originating from, or directed by persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States that are reasonably likely to result in, or have materially contributed to, a significant threat to the national security, foreign policy, or economic health or financial stability of the United States and that have the purpose or effect of causing a significant misappropriation of funds or economic resources, trade secrets, personal identifiers, or financial information for commercial or competitive advantage or private financial gain.