August 12, 2007 at 2:52 pm · Authored by Alex · Filed under Mobile

Link: Database of top-secret police phone taps stolen - Independent Online Edition > Crime

It’s been known for a long time that the police and security services can tap mobile phone calls and access records of those they think are involved in a serious crime - but no one was expecting the next serious crime to hit the headlines to be the theft of the call recordings and records.

According to Scotland Yard, a server and other IT equipment disappeared from the Sevenoaks office of private firm Forensic Telecommunications Service last Monday night. The records on the server included lists of screened phone calls, the identity of suspects under surveillance, plus time, date and location information.

In a statement released to the Mail on Sunday, Forensic Telecommunications Services, whose clients include Scotland Yard, The Police Service of Northern Ireland, HM Revenue and Customs and the Crown Prosecution Service, confirmed that the equipment had been stolen from its offices but denied that its disappearance would impact negatively on current police cases.