Interpol building hit for fifth time

Sneeky

Sneeky

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A high-security police building housing Interpol offices has been burgled again.

This brings to five the number of burglaries at the Pretoria building in the past three weeks.

At the weekend, thieves broke into the offices and stole laptops, electronic equipment and other devices from the Hawks anti-corruption unit.

The break-ins have raised fears about the security of classified information.

In one of the earlier incidents, burglars gained entry to the building using access-control cards and key codes and stole laptops, cameras and electronic equipment from the offices of five policemen seconded to Interpol.

No arrests have been made in that case.

Hawks spokesman Captain Paul Ramaloko confirmed the latest burglary: "The theft occurred at offices at the anti-corruption unit. At this stage it does not appear to be serious."

Police spokesman Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale said they suspected a group was targeting the Pretoria offices specifically to steal laptops rather than to access the information on them.

But a crime intelligence source said the burglars appeared to be returning again and again because they were not finding the information they were looking for.

Makgale said some of the laptops stolen in the first burglary had been recovered from a pawn dealership.

"We suspect the people involved in the first burglary may be involved in the latest incident.

"Investigations are at an early stage. At this point we believe it is highly unlikely that those behind the burglaries are interested in the information contained on the laptops but are rather more interested in making quick cash.

"We have not yet ruled out the possibility of the involvement of people regularly visiting the building to do business with the police," Makgale said.

Police had not come across any evidence suggesting an inside job, he said.

A crime intelligence source close to the investigation said that in all the break-ins the burglars were believed to have used key codes and access cards to get into the building, targeting the offices of senior officers.

"It seems the criminals are not getting the information they are looking for and are resorting to raiding the whole building.

"They use the same modus operandi, coming back again and again to find what they are looking for. They are now going from floor to floor," the source said.

Unisa criminologist Rudolph Zinn said that regardless of the motive, the repeated breaches were of serious concern.

"It is not only the access that is being gained but the potential sensitive information that the stolen laptops might contain, be it on corrupt officers, international criminals, agents or informants."

He said one expected security at buildings housing specialised units to be extremely high, especially if they were at off-site premises.

"Most of these off-site premises are guarded by private security companies, who are not always up to scratch. One would naturally expect additional security measures to be taken, especially after more than one burglary at the same building."

Zinn said hard questions needed to be asked.

"If it this easy to break into this building multiple times one needs to ask what other unauthorised access has occurred, where items have not been stolen but where sensitive information has been accessed without anyone noticing.

"People need to be worried. The implications are huge. Interpol will be asking questions. These breaches bring into question what information the South African Interpol office staff will ultimately be allowed access to if these thefts continue."
http://www.timeslive.co.za/thetimes/2014/08/21/interpol-building-hit-for-fifth-time
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:D :D :D
 
"People need to be worried. The implications are huge. Interpol will be asking questions. These breaches bring into question what information the South African Interpol office staff will ultimately be allowed access to if these thefts continue
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You'd think they would treat this stuff more seriously and have these things locked down with good security? Maybe we should have our access to that data revoked if we can't be responsible with it.
 
How fking stupid are these "protectors"?
Numerous burglaries
Total conflicting statements
Total idiocy
FFS we are doomed.
 
This is terrible.

If you know that you are being targeted why don't you take the necessary precautions to protect yourself?
It would be sad if criminals can get away as a result of information they obtained from the laptops.
 
This brings to five the number of burglaries at the Pretoria building in the past three weeks.

At the weekend, thieves broke into the offices and stole laptops, electronic equipment and other devices from the Hawks anti-corruption unit.

In one of the earlier incidents, burglars gained entry to the building using access-control cards and key codes and stole laptops, cameras and electronic equipment from the offices of five policemen seconded to Interpol.

No arrests have been made in that case.
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How is this not an obvious inside job to hide something or impede an investigation? Seriously 5 times in 3 weeks? No way it can be anything other then an inside job.
 
So they're stealing laptops looking for info?

Encrypt said laptops, as well as store all the data offsite in a secure hosting location... I mean really, how much of a rocket scientist does one need to be.
 
I'd close the office down, its a bit of a joke that a "police station" is being cleaned out every other weekend. I'd like to know how effective the staff even are
 
ToxicBunny said:
So they're stealing laptops looking for info?

Encrypt said laptops, as well as store all the data offsite in a secure hosting location... I mean really, how much of a rocket scientist does one need to be.
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This.

And I suspect an inside job, finish en klaar.
 
Interpol must think our Police force is a joke.
A really sad reflection of the state of our Policing.
 
Segg said:
I'd close the office down, its a bit of a joke that a "police station" is being cleaned out every other weekend. I'd like to know how effective the staff even are
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I said this before, but the last I know, Interpol offices are located inside the same building as the SAPS National Head Office in Pretoria. If they broke in to their offices, they had access to the offices of the national commissioner all the different national heads offices as well. They were just a floor or 2 below these people's offices.
 
Going through all of the effort to secure key codes and access cards just for the laptops and not the data on them... Yea right. How dumb do you think we are, or how dumb are you Lieutenant-General Solomon Makgale?

House said:
I said this before, but the last I know, Interpol offices are located inside the same building as the SAPS National Head Office in Pretoria. If they broke in to their offices, they had access to the offices of the national commissioner all the different national heads offices as well. They were just a floor or 2 below these people's offices.
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So know we know who had access....
 
House said:
I said this before, but the last I know, Interpol offices are located inside the same building as the SAPS National Head Office in Pretoria. If they broke in to their offices, they had access to the offices of the national commissioner all the different national heads offices as well. They were just a floor or 2 below these people's offices.
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The building is a national office - although IIRC the National Commissioners office (but not the non-provincial deputies) was moved out about 5 years ago.

SAPS "Head Office" is the Koedoe Building (236 Pretorius Street) whilst Interpol and a hell of a lot of national structures are IIRC at the Wachthuis Building (231 Pretorius Street) effectively across the street.

And then there is the lease scandal plan ...
 
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