Ears and Eyes

Ears and Eyes is a searchable database of cases of physical surveillance devices (hidden microphones, cameras, GPS trackers…) hidden by law enforcement and intelligence agencies to surveil people or groups engaged in subversive activities.

Contact
csrc@riseup.net (PGP)
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Cases found: 104

An AirTag - a tracking device marketed by Apple - is found on a scooter. It is hidden inside the scooter seat cushion, in which it was inserted through a slit apparently made with some sort of blade. It has an approximate diameter of 3 centimeters and a height of less than 1 centimeter.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
15 May 2023
April 2023

An AirTag - a tracking device marketed by Apple - is found taped under a bike. It has a diameter of about 3.5 centimers.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
France
Last updated
25 May 2023
December 2022

Three surveillance cameras are found in a building, pointed towards the entrance of a wagenplatz (a leftist political community where people live in trailers). They are located in a locked room, on the sixth floor of a building close to the wagenplatz - the building in question is vacant, except for the first floor which is occupied by a leftist cultural project. One of the cameras is a "Sony ISO 409600 Extreme Sensitivety 4K" with a high-grade "Sony SEL 600mm F4 GM OSS E-mount" telephoto lens. The two other cameras are IP cameras of model "Panasonic WV-S6131".

All three cameras are connected to a "G-ST 500+/8R Gscope055" video management device marketed by german company Geutebrück, which is equipped with a Telekom SIM card and a 2 TB SSD. The SSD contains video files dated from November and December 2022 in the GBF (Geutebrück Backup File) format, which can only be opened with the company's proprietary software. There are three files per day, each of which can be assigned to a camera. The file sizes indicate long-term and continuous video surveillance.

Another drive located in the room (of model "Samsung Portable SSD T5") contains additional GBF video files dated from September and October 2022, as well as two images taken by the IP cameras dated from August 2022 and showing the entrance of the wagenplatz, people and vehicles.

The whole installation is powered from a wall socket using an "Antrax SwitchBox-GSM" device which contains another Telekom SIM card, allowing the installation to be powered on and off through the mobile phone network. The IP cameras are powered by the video management device through Ethernet (using a "Delock Gigabit PoE+ Splitter" device).

Sony camera (1)
Sony camera (2)
Sony camera (3)
Sony camera (4)
Sony camera (5)
IP cameras (1)
IP cameras (2)
IP cameras (3)
IP cameras (4)
IP cameras (5)
IP cameras (6)
Video management device (1)
Video management device (2)
Video management device (3)
Video management device (4)
Telekom SIM cards (1)
Telekom SIM cards (2)
Delock Gigabit PoE+ Splitter (1)
Delock Gigabit PoE+ Splitter (2)
Video management device SSD (1)
Video management device SSD (2)
Images on the other drive - censorship added after the fact (1)
Images on the other drive - censorship added after the fact (2)
Antrax SwitchBox-GSM (1)
Antrax SwitchBox-GSM (2)
Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023
November 2022

A camera and a microphone are found on a bike in Bavaria, Germany. They are hidden under the bike seat, inside a container resembling a tool kit. The device consists of a main unit (~ 12 x 12 x 0.5 cm) connected to a camera (max 1 x 1 x 1 cm), a microphone, a battery (25 x 5 x 4 cm, Li-ion, 3.7 V, 60 Wh, 16.0 Ah), a modem (EM7565 Sierra Wireless), a SIM card (Telekom), a GSM antenna and a 4G antenna (Antenova SR4L002). The camera points outwards through a very small hole, directed at the entrance of the home under surveillance - it is impossible to identify it with the naked eye. A few minutes after the surveillance device was spotted and removed, the suspected spies come to retrieve their bike.

Types
Audio, Video
Location
Other
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023
November 2022

A microphone is found in a flat in Rome, Italy. It is hidden on the back of the kitchen oven. It is powered by the oven electrical supply, and is also equipped with a battery.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
October 2022

Two cameras are found in the streets, near self-managed political places. Each camera is in a box attached to an electric pole. They are able to film the entrances and surroundings of the places. They were present - possibly on and off - since 2019. After the discovery of the first camera, the second one was removed by the State intelligence services.

Type
Video
Location
Other
Country
France
Last updated
25 March 2023
October 2022

A microphone is found in an anarchist space. The device is hidden inside a power outlet. It is equipped with a microphone, two antennas, a SIM card, a memory card and a battery.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
August 2022

Two GPS trackers are found under a vehicle (the second one is found a few days after the first one was found and removed). They are attached with strong magnets in a hollow space between the plastic covering of the bumper and the body, precisely behind the left rear wheel. Each tracker consists of two metal cases connected by a cable. The first one contains a battery pack, and the second one the tracker itself, including a smaller battery, two antennas, and a SIM card.

The pictures of the device show that a tracker of model NavKos T, marketed by the german company DESAG Telematic, was part of the device. This suggests that the device was supplied by the german company DESAG Telematic.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023
April 2022

An audio surveillance device is found in the Libertad anarchist library in Paris, France. The device is hidden inside the printer-copier of the library. It is composed of two microphones, an antenna, a transformer, a battery, a small box containing an electronic card, a 64 GB SD card and a SIM card from the cell phone provider Orange.

According to the communique which announced the discovery of the device, it is a surveillance device of model RB800 marketed by the italian company Innova.

Extra files:
  • RB800-en.pdf: product description of the RB800 device (in english).
  • RB800-fr.pdf: product description of the RB800 device (in french).
Blue: microphones ; Yellow: wires soldered to the power supply ; Pink: small box with SIM card + SD card ; Green: transformer
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
France
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2022

A surveillance camera is found at the entrance of the village, pointed towards the home of an environmental activist. The camera, barely emerging from the ground, is covered with brambles and grass. It is connected to a Pepwave router and to two cases containing high-tech lithium batteries labeled Accuwatt, hidden in a ditch, under a tarp and a camouflage net.

High-technology batteries found alongside the cameras are marketed by the company Accuwatt, specialized in batteries for armies and law enforcement agencies.

Type
Video
Location
Other
Country
France
Last updated
25 March 2023
November 2021

A GPS tracker and an audio recording device are found in a car. They are located behind a panel of the front ceiling light. They are connected by a power cable and draw their power from the supply line to the rear ceiling light. The GPS tracker contains, among other things, a GPS receiver "u-blox MAX-M8", a card slot with a 16 GB microSD card, a cellular chip "u-blox LISA-U230" along with a Telekom SIM card, as well as a removable three-pin antenna module. The audio recording device contains a voltage converter, a 3.7 V, 550 mAh lithium-ion battery, and a small circuit board which includes a 32 GB microSD card and the "NN01-104" antenna from the company Ignion (formerly "Fractus"). The audio recording device taps into the hands-free system's existing microphone, which is located behind a cover above the rearview mirror.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023
August 2021

A tracking surveillance device and two microphones are found in a car. The tracking device is connected to the power supply of the control unit underneath the steering wheel on the left-hand side. It is attached with a magnet, insulating tape and a heating cloth. The microphones are located at the end of a long cable running along the inside of the internal side pillar linings of the windscreen to the underside of the roof of the car. The tracking device uses the GLONASS positioning system, and consists of an antenna connected to a multi-frequency positioning receiver box containing a micro SIM card.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

Three surveillance cameras are found overlooking a popular inn. They are buried in a hill at a certain distance from the inn. They include a transmitter and a battery pack.

Type
Video
Location
Other
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2021

A GPS tracker is found under a car. It is located in the lower right body frame. In september 2020, the owner of the vehicle had been accused as part of an investigation into the arson of several cell towers, before being cleared and released. The device was installed since may 2020, according to the cops.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
France
Last updated
25 March 2023

A listening device is found in an allotment area. It is disguised as a rock. It contains two microphones.

Type
Audio
Location
Other
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
December 2020

A surveillance device is found inside the smartphone of the campaign manager of a russian anti-corruption activist. It includes a SIM card, microphone, GPS tracker, and a microcircuit to amplify the radio signal. Some of the phone components were modified to make room for the surveillance device. The device was installed when the owner of the phone was in custody and her phone confiscated. The device was probably installed by the FSB (Federal security service).

Types
Audio, Location
Location
Other
Country
Russia
Last updated
25 March 2023
November 2020

A GPS tracker and a microphone are found in a car. The two devices were installed separately, each in one of the front seat headrests. The headrests were opened and glued back together after the bugs were installed. Both devices were equipped with two batteries each. The first device, which is apparently the control unit, is equipped with a GSM module to send GPS data and recorded audio files to the cops via the SIM card. On the control unit itself, there was a GPS/GSM antenna, the connection to the batteries and a microphone. Inside the device, a SIM card from "Deutsche Telekom" was found. The second device seems to be the actual audio monitoring device. It also has a battery connection, a smaller antenna and two microphones, which have been glued into the holes for the seat support, with anti-vibration padding. This device was equipped with an SD card, but there were no more audio files stored in it. Apparently, the SD card was used as a storage medium for the operating system data and for temporary storage of the recorded data. According to what is currently known, the GPS tracker was installed in august 2019 and the listening device intended for "internal surveillance of a vehicle" during or after september 2019. These devices were obviously installed by the federal criminal police (BKA) in order to retrieve information on the persons accused in the present "criminal association" proceedings.

1: control unit ; 2: batteries ; 3: GPS antenna ; 4: microphone ; 5: SIM card
2: two batteries of the listening device ; 4: microphones connected to the listening device ; 6: dismantled listening device ; 7: SD card
Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023

Four cameras are found near the "ZAD du Carnet", a place of struggle against the creation of an industrial area, in Loire-Atlantique, in the west of France. The four cameras, hidden near an access gate to the area, are camouflaged in a fake tree log and fake stones. They filmed continuously and were connected, via buried cables, to large batteries and modems, also concealed, allowing images to be sent directly to a remote station. The mention "Allwan" is visible on some of the images found, as well as on a label on a camera. The cameras are found on august 31, and appear to have been installed right before a "weekend of resistance" organized there on august 29 and 30.

The mention "Allwan", visible on images found on the devices, as well as on a label on a camera, suggests that the devices were supplied by the french company Allwan Security.

Type
Video
Location
Other
Country
France
Last updated
25 March 2023
February 2020

Four microphones are found in a house in Follonica. There is one in each room. They are connected to the electrical system of the house using a transformer and a battery. Each device is equipped with a SIM card and a memory card.

According to the source that reported the discovery of the microphones, they were supplied by the italian company Lutech.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
January 2020

Microphones are found in the Anarchist Garage in Pisa. They are connected to the electrical system of the building. The devices were installed as part of an investigation following an arson attack on a vivisection laboratory in Pisa.

According to the source that reported the discovery of the microphones, they were supplied by the italian company Lutech.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
October 2019

A GPS tracker is found on a motorbike. It is attached with a strong magnet. It is equipped with a SIM card and a battery.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Greece
Last updated
25 March 2023
August 2019

A GPS tracker is found on a car. It is attached with a strong magnet. It is equipped with a SIM card and a battery.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Greece
Last updated
25 March 2023
August 2019

A microphone and two GPS trackers are found in a vehicle. One of the trackers is attached with a magnet to the rear bumper, on the right side. The other one, along with the microphone, is placed in the air vents which are between the windscreen flap and the windscreen. The first tracker is equipped with an accumulator made of five 3.6V lithium batteries connected in a series, and a SIM card from Omnitel (former name of Vodafone Italia, an italian operator). The other tracker is equipped with a SIM card from Movistar (spanish operator). Although the use of an Omnitel card (operator which doesn’t exist anymore) and a spanish card is weird, it seems these trackers were assembled by the same people and probably installed these past months.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
June 2019

A surveillance device capable of recording images and sound is found during a gathering in front of a jail. The device is located behind a few stones, in a wall along a path, wrapped up in a black garbage bag, next to the place where this kind of gatherings usually happen. It contains a battery, a SD card, a microphone, and a camera hidden behind a rock where a hole had been made. It seems that the device couldn’t send the data, which was stored on the SD card. An analysis of the content of the SD card shows that the device was activated the 3rd of june and installed on the afternoon of the 7th, the day before the gathering.

The pictures of the device show that a digital video recorder of model DK-PV500E, marketed by the italian company DSE (Digital Surveillance Equipment), was part of the device. This suggests that the device was supplied by the italian company DSE.

Types
Audio, Video
Location
Other
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2019

A GPS tracker and a listening device are found in the car of an Irish republican. The devices are hidden in the undercarriage of the car. Shortly after the discovery of the device, the home of the car owner is raided by the Special Detective Unit (SDU), and the vehicle is seized.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Ireland
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2019

Microphones are found in a squatted house. They are located in the kitchen. Investigation files show that the audio they recorded was used to prove that the defendants knew each other, often talked together, were preoccupied by the creation by the italian State of a DNA database and the impossibility to refuse giving a DNA sample, that they discussed a text to publish or chatted about stuff.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2019

Six microphones and a camera are found in a house. The microphones are located in power outlets and switch cases, one above the intercom in the corridor, two other in the living-room, and the three last ones in private bedrooms. The camera is located inside the intercom in the corridor and connected to the microphone above it. Each microphone is equipped with a battery, and, except for the one in the corridor, with a SIM card and a memory card. The camera lens could observe through a small hole already present in the intercom structure and slightly worked on to fit the device.

Types
Audio, Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
February 2019

A microphone is found in a car. It is located in the upholstery of the vehicle roof. The device wires are hidden in the isolation case. The device is connected to the car electrical system, so that the bug turned on when the car started. It is connected to a Vodafone SIM card protected by a PIN code.

Type
Audio
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
October 2018

Two microphones and a GPS tracker are found in the car of one of the persons under investigation for the 15 september repressive operation (see the sources). Microphones are located above the driver’s head, next to the junction of the car roof upholstery and the windscreen. The GPS tracker is located in the fuse box. Everything is powered by a connection to the headlights cable (headlights that were dysfunctionning).

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
September 2018

Two microphones and a GPS tracker are found inside a car. The microphones are placed inside the upholstery of the car roof, just above the driver’s head. The GPS tracker, as usual, is stuck to the car body with a magnet. The bugs are connected to the car power supply at the level of the pedals, just below the lever that opens the front trunk.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
September 2018

Three outdoor surveillance cameras are found outside, at an event organized in support of a struggle against a project of nuclear waste burrying center. The cameras are all located along a 250m pathway leading to the event place. Two cameras of model BOLYGUARD MG983G are found laying in the grass and in a bush, 80cm above ground and are covered by a kind of camouflage hairnet. The third camera, of model RECONYX HYPERFIRE SM750, is found on a tree trunk, 1m20 above ground and has a khaki color. The contents of the SD memory cards reveal several things: the devices were placed on the same day very early in the morning (between 3h30 and 4h) ; the three devices are capable of night vision, two of them were configured to take pictures and one to record video and sound ; their placements allowed them to take pictures of the front and back license plates of cars driving on the pathway, and also of people following the pathway by foot ; one of the cameras was useless because of leaves in its field of vision.

According to the source that reported the discovery of the cameras, the cameras that were found were marketed by the companies RECONYX and Boly, based in the United States.

Extra files:
One of the two cameras of model BOLYGUARD MG983G
Types
Audio, Video
Location
Other
Country
France
Last updated
25 March 2023
August 2018

A microphone is found in the squat Awhanee. It is located in a multi-socket adaptor. The device contains a printed circuit board and a battery. It seems that the device was installed during a house search by cops earlier in the month.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
France
Last updated
25 March 2023
June 2018

Two microphones are found at a comrades' house.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

Several surveillance devices are installed from 2015 to april 2018 in the equadorian embassy in London to surveil Julian Assange, founder of the news organisation Wikileaks, which had taken refuge in the embassy since 2012. During this period of time, the interior cameras are replaced with higher resolution cameras equipped with hidden microphones ; microphones are hidden inside a fire extinguisher and above the storage cabinet in the bathroom used by Assange ; special stickers are attached on the exterior windows of the embassy to facilitate the use of a laser microphone (able to capture audio by detecting the sound vibrations of the windows) from a building nearby ; and a device capable of transmitting in real-time the informations collected by the other devices is installed. The microphone inside the fire extinguisher is equipped with an SD card and a battery which is changed every twelve hours, while the microphone in the bathroom is connected to the electrical system of the building. The devices are installed by the spanish company Undercover Global, officially in charge of the security at the embassy. Their installation appeared to have been ordered by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).

The surveillance devices were installed by the spanish company Undercover Global.

The fire extinguisher where a microphone was hidden
The storage cabinet above which a microphone was hidden
Types
Audio, Video
Location
In buildings
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
April 2018

Two microphones, a GPS tracker and a transmitter are found in a car. Everything is positioned on the car body with magnets over the driver’s door and linked to an electric cable carrying power to one of the lights inside the car. There is also an additional battery. The microphones are stuck with gum over the driver’s and passenger’s head seats. The power cable, battery, microphones and GPS are all linked to the transmitter. There is a TIM SIM card inside the transmitter.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2018

A surveillance device is found inside the desktop phone of a journalist targeted for its support to the news organization Wikileaks. The phone, a "Cryptophone" based on the "Snom 870" desktop phone, enables encrypted voice communications with other Cryptophones. The surveillance device includes a battery pack and a shielded module with several electronic components. It is able to record what is said on the phone and can be triggered remotely through radio frequencies to send the recorded data. Components of the phone were modified to install the surveillance device. The surveillance device was probably installed by the CIA (Central Intelligence Agency).

Modified version of the phone largest circuit board (with surveillance device). The battery pack (in blue) and the shielded module (in light brown) are part of the surveillance device.
Modified version of the phone largest circuit board, with the cover of the shielded module removed.
On the left: modified version of the phone largest circuit board (with surveillance device) without the battery pack. On the right: unmodified version.
The phone smallest circuit board, with added wiring to allow recording of audio by the surveillance device on the other circuit board.
Type
Other
Location
Other
Country
Unknown country
Last updated
25 March 2023

A listening device is found in the former home of an Irish republican, who had died ten years prior to the discovery of the device. The device consists of a small microphone, hidden in the ceiling of a downstairs room, along with a number of battery packs found under the floorboards of an upstairs bedroom.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
January 2018

Two microphones are found in the documentation space Il Tribolo. They are hidden inside a power outlet and in the junction box next to it.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
January 2018

Two microphones and a GPS tracker are found in a car. There is also a device equipped with an antenna, a SIM card from the TIM provider and a 16 GB memory card. The power cable is connected to the fuse box and to other wires located under the dashboard. Both microphones are located under the upholstery of the car roof and the wires arrive to the power supply through the car door. The magnetized GPS and the cards thingy with the antenna are hidden behind the speedometer. From what we could check, everything has been placed in the car more than a year ago and the microphones were recording even when the car engine was turned off, in a radius of several meters.

The microphones
A microphone
The GPS
The device with an antenna connected to the microphones and GPS. It also included a SIM and memory card.
1: behind the speedometer ; 2: the fuse box
Counterclockwise from top: device with antenna, SIM and memory card; GPS; power cables
Microphones and their power cable
Inside the thingy with antennas and cards (below with a brown outline is the GPS)
Overall view
Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
January 2018

A GPS tracker is found in a car. The device is placed in the rear bumper, sticked to the car body with magnets. It consists in removable batteries and a Vodafone SIM card.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
December 2017

Microphones and a GPS tracker are found in a car. The device is placed in the fuse box. The car had electrical problems (the battery had discharged twice in a month, sign of an abnormal electricity consumption).

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
December 2017

A micro-camera is found inside a house. The device is placed in the kitchen/dining room, inside a wall, covered up by mortar, revealing only the hold for the camera's lens.

Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
December 2017

Microphones and GPS trackers are found in two cars.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
November 2017

Microphones and GPS trackers are found in a car. The microphones are placed under the upholstery of the car roof, where the windscreen and the sunshields are (so take a look there, you can’t feel them from outside, so you have to slip your hand between the roof and the cardboard to which the upholstery is attached). In one case the power cables reached beneath the wheel, in the other they were attached to the car lights.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
September 2017

A bug is found in an anarchist place inside an electric plug not connected to any network. Its precise functioning isn’t clear : either it contains a SIM card through which some busybody can get connected to hear someone’s discussions, or a power supply battery. On one of the edges can be read the acronym ABG.

Sources: (en) web.archive.org ; (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
December 2015

A microphone is found at the Laboratorio Libertario Ligéra. The device is located inside a neon light attached to the ceiling. It consists in three 9-volts batteries, joined together with insulating tape, with a microphone and antenna at each end.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
October 2015

Listening devices are found in the home of an activist. They are hidden in electric sockets.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
China
Last updated
25 March 2023
September 2015

A surveillance device is found in the « Plaisir d’enfance » Montessori school just in front of the anarchist library La Discordia, in a storage room on the first floor overlooking a window in front of the library. The device takes the form of a « cardboard folder ». The device is in a rectangular casing about 40x25x25 cm in hard plastic, loud (because of fans), and plugged into the power supply (without batteries). The casing has a hole of about 4 cm in diameter for the camera, with three cables coming out at the end, two of which are tipped antennae (probably sound sensors) and a third a small square sensor. Inside the box we find advanced technological equipment: a wireless router with two SIM cards (Bouygues), GPS, three cell inputs, one stereo input ; a processor ; a telephone device with an Orange SIM card (which means that the data was not stored but transmitted live) ; a camera with two zoom levels, remote controlled ; and other types of materials that we are not able to identify. The device was in place at least since the second week of july 2015.

Extra files:
Overview
Camera
Open
Router
Antennas
Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
France
Last updated
25 March 2023

A listening device is found in the home of an Irish republican. The device is built into a joist in a space between the ceiling and a bedroom floor. It contains several small listening devices that are attached to spotlights.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
April 2015

Two microphones are found at a comrades’ home. The devices are inside two outlets. Each device consists in a microphone linked to a transformer and a thingy containing a micro-SIM card.

Sources: (it) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2015

A geolocation device is found on the car of an attendee to the Circumvention Tech Festival, a festival against Internet surveillance and censorship. The device is magnetically mounted inside of the left wheel well of the car. It consists in a battery, a GPS antenna, a GSM antenna and a Movistar SIM card. The various components are wrapped in black tape and magnetically mounted to the car mudguard and frame. Several clues leads to believe that the device may have been placed by cops from the « Cuerpo Nacional de Policía » (Spain national civilian police force).

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Spain
Last updated
25 March 2023

A listening device and a tracking device are found on the car of an Irish republican. The listening device is attached to a rear wheel arch of the car by several powerful magnets. The tracking device is located under the opposite wheel arch. The listening device, able to monitor conversations inside and outside the vehicle, is powered by 12 long-life batteries. The tracking device also appears to be battery-powered.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
June 2014

Three microphones coming with cameras are found in the alleys around a squat. The devices are pointing on the different entries of the house.

The pictures of the devices show that the cameras found were marketed by the italian company Elkron, which became a subsidiary of the italian company Urmet in 2012. This suggests that the cameras were supplied by the italian company Elkron.

Types
Audio, Video
Location
Other
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

A GPS tracker and a listening device are found on the car of an Irish republican. Parts of the device - battery packs and a transmitter - are hidden behind the car rear bumper.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023

A video surveillance device is found in the Plagwitz district of Leipzig. It is located on the second floor of a vacant house. It contains cameras mounted on tripods, which film the public space through windows.

Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023
May 2014

Two microphones and portable scanners watching the Asilo Occupato are found. The microphones are inside the Asilo Occupato, connected to the electrical installation. The portable scanners are in a telecoms booth very close to the squat.

The two microphones and the scanners
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2014

A video surveillance device is found in the Connewitz district of Leipzig. It is located on the second floor of a vacant house. It contains a swiveling camera which is connected to a hard disk recorder and can be controlled via an LTE mobile phone connection, and a battery to power the device. Through a window, the camera has a view of the sidewalk, several building entrances and several apartment windows. The device cannot be seen from the outside, luminous diodes have been specially masked off.

Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023
February 2014

Two cameras are found in front of the Asilo Occupato. The devices are concealed in a fake Enel (Italian electricity supplier) electric box attached on the first floor of a building.

The logo of the italian company Gruppo TRS, which was bought in 2012 by the italian company Atet, is visible on the pictures of the devices. This suggests that these devices were supplied by the italian company Atet.

The new case with Pinnocchio sitting on it
Type
Video
Location
Other
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

A camera is found in a residential building close to a social center, in a small locked room on the 12th floor, overlooking the center's main entrance through a window. The camera is mounted on a tripod and powered by a socket in another locked room, through a cable laid outside across the roof. The residential building is located about 260 meters from the social center.

The camera during the night
The camera during the day
Power cable on the roof
Power cable reaching the socket
The social center as it was viewed by the camera
Line of sight between the camera and the social center
Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Germany
Last updated
18 May 2023

A tracking device is found on a truck. It is attached with a magnet to the frame of the truck.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United States
Last updated
25 March 2023

A tracking device is found on the van of an Irish republican. The device is hidden beneath a wheel arch of the vehicle. It is encased in black rubber, contains a long life battery pack and is marked with a British military serial number. Shortly after the discovery of the device, the home of the van owner is raided by police forces in an apparent attempt to retrieve the device.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
October 2013

A police surveillance camera is found in a hospital, pointed towards the Kasa de la Muntanya squat.

Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Spain
Last updated
25 March 2023

Two bluetooth listening devices and a tracking device are found in the car of an Irish republican. The devices are hidden on the underside of the driver's seat, underneath carpet in the rear passenger footwell and affixed behind the rear seats.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
June 2013

Microphones are found in comrades’ house.

Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (en) web.archive.org ; (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

A GPS tracker is found under the car of an anti-militarist activist. It is attached with magnets under the right rear bumper. It is the same model as the device found in Leipzig in may 2013, GPRSpack. It contains batteries, a GPS receiver and a GSM module to send the collected data.

The GPRSpack device was developped as a collaboration between the BLKA (Bavarian Landeskriminalamt, State Criminal Police Office of Bavaria) and the german company EBS Electronic. In 2017, EBS Electronic, together with another company, became the german company EBS-SYSTART.

Extra files:
  • GPRSpack.pdf: usage guide of the GPRSpack device (in german).
Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023

A GPS tracker is found under a car. It is attached with magnets inside the rear bumper of the vehicle. According to the article that reported the discovery, the device model is GPRSpack. It contains batteries, a GPS receiver and a GSM module to send the collected data.

The GPRSpack device was developped as a collaboration between the BLKA (Bavarian Landeskriminalamt, State Criminal Police Office of Bavaria) and the german company EBS Electronic. In 2017, EBS Electronic, together with another company, became the german company EBS-SYSTART.

Extra files:
  • GPRSpack.pdf: usage guide of the GPRSpack device (in german).
GPS tracker
GPS tracker
GPS tracker and antenna
GPS tracker open
GPS tracker open with SIM card
GPS antenna and SIM card
Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023
April 2013

A tracking device is found under the car of a member of an antifascist group. It is hidden in the wheel well of the car. It was planted by cops from the Staatsschutz ("State security"). The owner of the car caught the cops while they were tampering with her car in the garage of her workplace.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023
February 2013

Four microphones of the GSM type are found in two homes. In the first home, a microphone is placed next to the office where there is a computer (for some time, the loudspeakers connected to this computer were disrupted by an interference similar to the interference of a phone receiving a call), another in the outlet next to the kitchen table, the last one in the bedroom, in the outlet closest to the bed (the outlet cover had been pierced to direct the microphone towards the headboard). In the second home, a microphone is placed in the bedroom, in the outlet closest to the door, which gives onto the kitchen, so that it covers several places. The microphones of the first home are Vodafone mobile phones, with a transformer and antennas with a printed circuit board. The microphone of the second home is an older model, with two transformers and an antenna with a screw.

Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
February 2013

Two GSM-type microphones with GPS tracker are found in a car. The devices are placed inside the car ceiling, that hosts the small interior light. It consists in Vodafone mobile phones, with a transformer and antennas with a printed circuit board. Microphones are pointed towards the front seats.

Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (fr) web.archive.org
Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
October 2012

Two microphones are found in the anarchist space 76/A. The devices are placed in the air vents of the two rooms where gigs and initiatives are held. It consists in three 9-volt batteries set up in parallel and stuck to a transmitter microphone with tape.

The device was like that when it was found. The microphone is next to the two euros coin and the antenna is at the other end.
The microphone without the tape and with the tip detached
Detail of the emitting antenna with its cover
Detail of the emitting antenna without its cover
Everything dismantled. The batteries were without power.
Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (en) web.archive.org ; (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
September 2012

A listening and geolocation device is found on a scooter. The different device components are located in the spare wheel bracket, next to the tank and behind the horn grid. The device is based on a device sold by Telit (an italian supplier of wireless technologies). The device model is Telit GM862-GPS. It is capable of listening with a microphone, geolocating with a GPS antenna, and transmitting collected informations on the telephone network with a GSM antenna. The device is placed in the spot where the tank is along with a transformer and an accumulator. Both antennas (GPS and GSM) are connected to the device and end up in the spare wheel bracket. The microphone, also connected to the device, ends up behind the horn grid. Wires connect the device to the scooter starting system. All these components are stuck to the scooter frame by strong magnets secured by tape. This scooter model doesn’t have a battery (it dates back to the 1980s) and its engine generates alternating current, hence the presence of a transformer and an accumulator to guarantee the good functioning of this equipment even when the scooter is not going.

Extra files:
  • Telit-GM862.pdf: product description of the Telit GM862-GPS device (in english).
Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

A GPS tracker is found under the car of an Irish republican. It is located inside the car's rear bumper and attached to the vehicle with magnets. Shortly after the device is discovered, the car is seized by the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI), and returned to the owner after a number of hours.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023

Four microphones and a camera are found in a house. A microphone is placed behind the fridge, another in the bedroom, another in a beam next to the ceiling light, another in the house entry. A graceful little camera films the entry stairs. All are connected through a transformer to the house electrical network.

Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (fr) web.archive.org
Types
Audio, Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
May 2012

A camera is found hidden in an air-conditioner inside a school. The camera served to control the entrance of the house of some anarchist comrades under investigation, and had been placed there by plain clothes officers a few weeks before the comrades' house was searched.

Sources: (it) culmine.noblogs.org[archive.org] / translations: (en) web.archive.org
Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

A GPS tracker is found under a car. It is located in the car bumper. The device includes a GPS antenna.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Spain
Last updated
25 March 2023
July 2011

Several cameras are found in the attic of a public school located in front of a recently evicted squat, overlooking the squat through the skylights.

Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Germany
Last updated
18 May 2023

A camera is found at two anarchists’ houses. The device is placed in the kitchen, behind a small air vent. It consists in a camera, linked to a rather large battery made of 3 tubes of 4 batteries of 14.4 volts. The battery is behind the sink. Between the battery and the rest of the device is what seems to be a switch, that can be manipulated remotely. The camera is connected to a small black box that serves as an encoder. This encoder, type « Micro View Lock » (Ovations Systems), was in turn connected to what may be an antenna to transmit images on 1.4 Ghz. There is no SIM card. The camera is pointed towards the kitchen table. We don’t know if it also contains a microphone. The camera is secured with magnetic elements. On almost all elements « CS » stickers are affixed. « CS » indeed matches the code store Logistics Department of the Federal Police.

Type
Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Belgium
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2011

A geolocation device is found in the car of members of a support committee to the defendants in the Tarnac affair (in trial for the sabotage of a high-speed train catenary which took place in 2008). The device is placed behind the car battery ventilation grids. It consists in a small black case of 9 by 5 centimeters, connected with wires to the car electrical system. Inside, two printed circuit boards including a passive antenna, a geolocation device branded Navman and an Orange SIM card to transmit the data.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
France
Last updated
25 March 2023
January 2011

Microphones and cameras are found in the 400colpi space. A first device is placed in an electrical case, strangely too hot. It consists, along with a microphone, of a surveillance micro-camera. A second device is placed in an industrial outlet.

The first device
The second device
Sources: (fr) web.archive.org
Types
Audio, Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
November 2010

A microphone is found in the Panetteria Occupata inside a closed and sealed electricity meter. It is a microphone with a 300 Mhz shortwave transmitter.

Sources: (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
November 2010

Microphones and a micro-camera are found in multiple homes. The devices are found in an amplifier, in the kitchen hood and in a cathode-ray television. The devices have microphones and 300 Mhz transmitters with 200-300 meters range. In one case, the device can be activated by remote control (at a distance of hundreds of meters) and in another case it comes with a micro-camera linked to a UHF band transmitter of the same range.

Microphone inside the TV set
Microphone inside the cooker hood
Microphone inside the amp
Sources: (fr) web.archive.org
Types
Audio, Video
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
October 2010

A microphone is found in an anarchist documentation center inside an electrical outlet. It is a transmitter-receiver.

Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
May 2010

A GPS tracker is found under the truck of a member of the Nunatak magazine (italian magazine about mountains stories, cultures and struggles). The device is attached with a magnet under the back of the vehicle. It consists in Vodaphone SIM cards connected to 4 « torch » batteries in a series.

Sources: (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
April 2010

A GPS tracker and a microphone are found in a car. The device is placed between the car body and the interior coating, and attached with two magnets. It is connected to the power supply by the car interior light wires. It consists in a modified mobile phone, an antenna, a GPS and a microphone.

The microphone
The whole device
The mobile phone
Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (en) web.archive.org ; (fr) web.archive.org
Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
April 2010

A GPS tracker is found under the car of a member of AFA (Animal Freedom Aotearoa). It is attached to the car with magnets, and uses a mobile phone connection to report the car position. According to the articles that reported the discovery of the device, the information collected by the device was sent to Thompson and Clark, a New Zealand private investigation agency. The surveillance was probably carried out on behalf of a company targeted by the activists.

According to the articles that reported the discovery of the device, the device was supplied to the private investigation agency Thompson and Clark by the New Zealand company Argus Tracking. As shown by the high resolution pictures of the device, its model is GT-2000XT-D, and it is very similar to the device GT-2000, marketed by the company based in United Kingdom Custodia Systems.

Extra files:
Sources: (en) web.archive.org ; (en) web.archive.org ; (en) web.archive.org
Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
New Zealand
Last updated
25 March 2023
October 2009

A microphone is found in the Doppiofondo documentation center inside an electrical outlet.

Sources: (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
June 2009

A GPS tracker and microphones are found in a car. The device is placed in a plastic container (badly) sticked under the roof. It contains two boxes : both contain a « base » mobile phone with a SIM card. From there wires go out, passing by a hole up to under the back seats. Here are two microphones passing by the seat belt canal : the first at the driver’s height, the second at the height of the levers used to adjust the seat, next to the back seats. The antenna is behind the back seat. Finally, still coming from these two boxes, is a wire that goes through the car doors to reach the car fuse box.

Overall view of the device
GPS antenna
Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (fr) web.archive.org
Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

A GPS tracker and a listening device are found under the car of someone linked to Irish republicans. Part of the devices is located under the car bumper. The listening device is able to use a microphone to convey conversations within the vehicle over a mobile phone network.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2008

A microphone is found in the home of a comrade of L’urto de Viterbo circle. The device is hidden inside an air inlet (ventilation system) of the house. It consists in 12 cylindrical batteries and a microphone.

Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

A GPS tracker is found under the car of Marius Mason (who was called Marie Mason back then), member of the ELF (Earth Liberation Front). It is attached to the car with magnets. About a month later, Marius Mason was arrested by agents of the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) and later sentenced to 22 years in prison for arson attacks (more information available at supportmariusmason.org).

Sources: (en) web.archive.org
Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United States
Last updated
25 March 2023
September 2007

A tracking device is found under the car of a left-wing nationalist activist.

Sources: (es) web.archive.org
Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Spain
Last updated
25 March 2023

A listening device is found in the flat of a former political prisoner. It is located under the sofa. It is made of two meters of wiring with a microphone in the end. It was installed from the flat below, through a hole in the floor.

The sofa under which the device was found
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Spain
Last updated
25 March 2023
July 2007

Two microphone receiver cases are found in the entry corridor of the building that hosts the Fuori Luogo space. Both devices are hidden above a fake ceiling in the entry corridor. They are directly connected to the phone line with telephone wires. They consist in a main body, with a connector with external remote control, a digital receiver showing the strength of the received signal, and antennas. The presence of these two receivers probably means there are two emitting microphones in the space.

Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
June 2007

Microphones are found in a car. The device is placed in the car ceiling. It is connected to the car interior light power supply. It consists in a modified mobile phone, an antenna and two microphones.

Overall view of the device
First mobile phone
Second mobile phone
Antenna
The GPS
The two microphones
Sources: (it) web.archive.org / translations: (fr) web.archive.org
Type
Audio
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023
May 2007

A GPS tracker is found in a car. It is attached with strong magnets in the front wheel well on the passenger's side. It contains a set of high-power batteries, a GPS receiving antenna, a module for data processing and a mobile radio transmitting module with a transmitting antenna. The whole thing is wrapped with black tape. The device was planted by the BKA (Bundeskriminalamt, Federal Criminal Police Office).

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023

A GPS tracker is found under the car of an anti-fascist activist. The device is attached with magnets under the rear bumper. It is equipped with a battery. When it was discovered, it was flashing a green light at short intervals.

Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023

A listening device is found in the home of an Irish republican. It is located in a kitchen ceiling cavity. The device includes two aerials, batteries and a microphone.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
March 2005

A surveillance device is found in the roof of a car. It is equipped with a microphone. It seems that the device was causing interferences that could be heard on the car radio.

Type
Audio
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

A GPS tracker is found under the car of an animal rights and environmental activist. It is located under the car rear bumper. The device includes a battery pack, a GPS antenna, a transmitter-receiver module and powerful magnets. It was installed by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

Overview of the device before being disassembled
Tip of the battery pack
The batteries
Transmitter-receiver module (closed)
GPS antenna
GPS antenna board
Side of the transmitter-receiver module
Transmitter-receiver module (open)
Transmitter-receiver module (open)
Transmitter-receiver module (open)
Module providing the GPS signal
Module providing the GPS signal (other side)
Module providing RF transmission capabilities
Module providing RF transmission capabilities (other side)
Overview of the device after being disassembled
Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United States
Last updated
25 March 2023
November 2004

A surveillance device is found in the vehicle of someone investigated as part of the operation "Cervantes", a repressive operation against italian anarchists. It is located in the roof of the car. It is equipped with one (or two) microphone(s). It is powered by sunlight. It seems that the device was causing interferences that could be heard on the car radio.

Type
Audio
Location
In vehicles
Country
Italy
Last updated
25 March 2023

A listening device is found in offices used by Irish republicans. The device, disguised as a floor joist, is hidden under the floor of a first floor office with microphones pointing into the office and down into a conference room below. It includes a large battery pack.

Type
Audio
Location
In buildings
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023

GPS trackers are found under three cars belonging to animal rights activists with ties to the ALF (Animal Liberation Front). They are attached by powerful magnets behind the rear bumpers on the driver's side. Each device contains a battery pack made of four lithium D cell batteries, a GPS antenna, a cellular antenna and a main component box. The component box contains a GPS receiver, a computer chip and a cellular modem. All the components are wired together. According to the activists, the devices were probably planted by the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation).

Sources: (en) web.archive.org ; (en) web.archive.org
Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United States
Last updated
25 March 2023

A listening and tracking surveillance device is found in a car used by Irish republicans. The device is built into the body of the car in such a way as to make it impossible for anyone carrying out repairs on the vehicle to find the device. It is able to track the location of the vehicle, record and transmit audio, and can be switched off and on by remote control. It includes a microphone built into the middle of the roof of the vehicle, as well as rechargeable batteries wired to the car in such a way as to allow recharging only while the car is running. The wiring, which connects each part of the device, runs along the skin of the car.

Types
Audio, Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
United Kingdom
Last updated
25 March 2023
July 1988

A tracking device is found under the car of a person under investigation for burglaries. It is attached with two magnets. It is a small box with an antenna.

Sources: (de) taz.de[archive.org]
Type
Location
Location
In vehicles
Country
Germany
Last updated
25 March 2023