Polish police have arrested three Ukrainian nationals, aged 39 to 43, on suspicion of attempting to damage IT systems in Poland and of obtaining what authorities described as “computer data of particular importance to national defense.” Police announced the detentions and related measures in a press release.
Officers said the men were stopped while travelling around Europe and reported they were heading to Lithuania. Police said the men “were visibly nervous” and that a thorough search of the vehicle turned up equipment police described as capable of interfering with strategic IT and telecommunications networks, including a spy device detector, advanced FLIPPER hacking equipment, antennas, laptops, numerous SIM cards, routers, portable hard drives and cameras.
The three men face charges of fraud, computer fraud and possession of devices and software intended for criminal activity. Authorities also seized a K19 RF/GS detection tool used to find hidden surveillance equipment, and said items taken for forensic examination contained encrypted data from which investigators, including the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime (CBZC), were able to collect evidence.
Police said the suspects identified themselves as IT specialists. The Flipper Zero device among the seized items is described by manufacturers and users as a portable tool for pentesting and hardware research that can interact with radio frequencies, read or emulate RFID, NFC and Bluetooth signals, and emulate input devices to run scripts. The article noted the device has been used both for legitimate security research and for malicious purposes and has prompted bans in some markets.
Authorities have not provided details about any specific cyber activity tied to the suspects. The three were detained for three months pending trial while investigators consider multiple scenarios for their presence in Poland.