ROME: Israeli foreign intelligence agency Mossad has been involved in an espionage scandal against the prime minister of Italy and senior officials, western media reported on Friday.
According to the reports, Mossad has been involved in deals with a Milan-based private investigation company comprising of current and former senior members of the security services and who have stolen personal information of politicians, including Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and public figures.
At least four people have been arrested and dozens more are under investigation. As per reports cyber security experts and hackers may have breached the servers of Italy’s Interior Ministry while trying to steal the confidential information.
Italian media outlets termed the case as a “conspiracy of the highest level that involves members of the mafia and officials in the intelligence services, along with foreign intelligence services including the Mossad.”
Prime Minister of Italy Giorgia Meloni described the plot as “unacceptable” and a “threat to democracy.” While Defence Minister of the country Guido Crosetto demanded an urgent parliamentary inquiry of the case.
Former senior police office; who heads Equalize, a private business intelligence company, is the main suspect in the probe and is accused of breaching the servers of government ministries and the police between 2019-2024, to collect sensitive information to sell to his clients.
According to a local media report investigators intercepted a visit to the investigation firm by two unidentified Israeli citizens who were described as intelligence agents, and were seeking a deal in information regarding Iranian gas.
