Bangladesh: Report reveals government purchase of Israeli spy tech; inc. co. comment
"Israeli Spy Tech Sold to Bangladesh, Despite Dismal Human Rights Record", 10 January 2023
Advanced surveillance equipment, developed by a company controlled by the former commander of Israeli intelligence’s technology unit, was sold last year to the government of Bangladesh... despite Bangladesh not being on Israel's list of countries that such technology may be sold to - and despite its consistently poor human rights record.
The equipment, which is used to intercept mobile and internet traffic, was sold to the National Telecommunication Monitoring Center, or NTMC, an arm of the Bangladeshi Interior Ministry responsible for tracking internet and social media use inside the country, as well as for online censorship and eavesdropping on citizens.
Passitora, a firm registered in Cyprus, is controlled by Tal Dilian, an Israeli businessman and former intel commander. Under its previous name WiSpear, it was involved in a scandal that began with a boastful interview Dilian gave to Forbes, in which he revealed the existence of the company’s SpearHead system, which includes a van equipped with surveillance equipment and tracking software... A presentation on WiSpear claims the system can be used to inject spyware on computers and mobile phones within its range.
Export records show that in June 2022, a SpearHead system was delivered from Switzerland to the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka. The supplier was Passitora, and the buyer was NTMC. The shipment, weighing 991 kilograms, included the interception system, operating software and hardware components...
The government's preferred weapon
... official documents cited in this report reveal for the first time four other transactions for the purchase of Israeli spy technology by Bangladeshi government agencies involved in human rights violations. The technology enables them to surveil Bangladeshi citizens through their phone and to hack wireless networks and monitor internet traffic.
The companies are either Israeli or foreign with a clear link to Israel, and some of the exports are by firms registered in the Virgin Islands, Cyprus and Singapore who seemingly act solely as middlemen.
NTMC, the Interior Ministry arm that bought the SpearHead system, was formed in 2013 and deals, according to reports, with eavesdropping on opposition officials, protestors and ordinary citizens.
Training trips to Greece
In June 2021, the Bangladeshi cabinet decided to buy a “Vehicle Mounted Mobile Interceptor” spy vehicle... According to an official cabinet document, two companies bid to supply the technology, and the one that was chosen was a Swiss company, Toru Group Limited.
The company's CEO is Assaf Elias, an Israeli citizen...
Toru’s website makes no reference to the sort of spy vehicle that Bangladesh purchased from the company. The one who does make one is Dilian, owner of Passitora. According to three sources, Toru Group, headed by Elias, acted as a middleman for various deals with Dilian’s firms.
NTMC’s budget shows that the system was expected to arrive in Bangladesh in mid-2022. Shipping documents show that the system was delivered at the end of June. Two sources in Bangladesh say that a new, advanced spy van is already in service, with its surveillance tools leading to the firing of seven police officers who allegedly criticized the government on a secret WhatsApp group and communicated with figures in the BNP opposition party.
Passitora and Dilian did not respond to requests for comment. When reached for a response, Elias hung up and declined to comment. (After publication of this story, a lawyer representing Passitora sent a response which can be read in full at the end of this report)
Not just Big Brother on wheels
The cyber shopping spree didn’t end here. An official document from the prime minister's office dating from 2019 shows that Bangladesh’s internal intelligence agency, or NSI, also bought a system for intercepting Wi-Fi communications from a company called Prelysis.
Cypriot export records show a July 2019 Wi-Fi interception system shipped from Prelysis to Bangladesh at a total cost of about $3 million.
Prelysis is registered in Israel and Cyprus under slightly different names. The founder of the company and its current director, Israeli citizen Kobi Naveh...
In reply to an “Haaretz” inquiry, into whether Prelysis is overseen by Israel’s Defense Ministry and whether it OK’d the deal, Naveh said he “cannot respond”.
Israel-Singapore-Cyprus-Bangladesh
Cyprus' export records from July 2019 show another shipment for the Bangladeshi military – this time for equipment used for the “active monitoring of mobile phones” – at a cost of $1.6 million. The supplier is Coralco Tech, of Singapore.
On Singapore’s companies registrar, Israeli Eyal Almog is listed as Coralco Tech’s owner. In Israel, the company is registered under the same name and address, and with the same owner.
In response to this report, Coralco Tech said that “due to the nature of its deals, the company does not comment on the identity of its clients and the products that they buy. In general, all deals involving the company are fully reported while attaining the proper licenses from the regulatory bodies, including Israel’s Defense Ministry. The company sells its products after an internal vetting process that takes into account human rights violations”.
Cyprus export records reveal that another company, U-TX Technologies, provided surveillance equipment to Bangladesh. This includes a “Web Intelligence” system, valued at $2 million and delivered to NTMC in 2019; and a cellular tracking system for military intelligence, valued at $500,000, in 2021.
U-TX was set up in Cyprus by Israelis – it is registered and operates from the island. In 2014, U-TX was purchased by Verint...
In 2021, Verint spun off its security operations into a new company called Cognyte, which shares an address with Verint in Herzliya, Israel and supplies the same cybersecurity services Verint once did. U-TX operates today under the name Cognyte.
U-TX, Cognyte and Heled did not respond to requests for comment. No response about the purchase of Israeli spyware was received from Bangladesh’s Interior and Foreign Ministries.
* After publication of this story, a lawyer from Pelecanos & Pelecanou LLC representing Passitora sent this response:
“... following an interview that was published ..., an investigation was initiated by the Cypriot authorities with regard to the company WiSpear’s operation,” the lawyer stated.
“All charges against Mr. Tal Dilian and any individuals who were questioned in the investigation were dropped without fault. None of the individuals investigated were subject to any form of personal sanctions whether criminal or administrative.”
“In February 2022 the Assize Court in Larnaca published the final ruling in the case."