A London-based Israeli couple at the centre of one of
the world's largest industrial espionage and computer hacking
scandals have been extradited to Israel to face trial.
Computer specialist Michael Haephrati and his wife Ruth are
accused of supplying sophisticated Trojan horse software used by
private detective agencies to spy on scores of top Israeli
firms.
The scandal unravelled last year, and the couple were remanded
in custody awaiting an extradition request from the Israeli
authorities.
Their arrest followed an international investigation by the
computer crime unit of the Tel Aviv fraud squad, Interpol, police
in Germany and the US, and the UK's National Hi-Tech Crime
Unit.
Michael Haephrati, who has homes in London and Germany, provided
his services through London-registered computer consultancy, Target
Eye. The company lists its specialities as security, intelligence
and spyware.
According to Israeli police, Haephrati, who honed his computer
skills during his three-year military service with the Israeli
army, charged $2,000 (£1,200) a month to supply and maintain custom
designed Trojan horse spy software.
Israeli police are investigating the role of 15 senior
executives from top Israeli companies, after they allegedly hired
detective agencies to obtain confidential information from their
competitors' computer systems.
Telecoms companies, advertising agencies and public relations
firms are among more than 20 organisations known to have been
targeted.
The agencies are accused of conducting industrial espionage on a
huge scale against scores of computers belonging to listed
companies and private individuals, according to documents lodged at
Tel Aviv Magistrates Court.
The couple are now being interrogated by Israeli police. It is
believed they have agreed to give evidence for the prosecution in
return for a more lenient sentence.
Computer hacking carries a maximum five-year jail sentence in
Israel, which can be increased if data theft also takes place.