Police close to new deal on bugging cellphones

By NAOMI LARKIN

Criminal activities plotted secretly on Vodafone mobiles look likely to be foiled from next month.

The police are close to reaching an agreement with Vodafone to enable officers to bug calls made on its cellphone network.

Cabinet papers released yesterday reveal that the Government was warned in December that the Police Department's ability to combat organised crime was being seriously eroded by its inability to listen in to calls made on Vodafone mobiles.

Telecom had already reached an agreement with the police and modified its digital network, but Vodafone's 021 service had remained outside the police's tapping powers.

The papers said the police wanted up to $1.1 million to pay Vodafone to make its network "interception capable."

Associate Justice Minister Paul Swain said yesterday that the issue was close to being resolved. Cost had been the sticking point.

"The Government has said it will meet the costs within reason. The argument is around what is within reason.

"The plan is to have it resolved next month."

But security expert Dr Henry B. Wolfe said the technology was already available to intercept and the real issue was privacy.

Dr Wolfe, a senior lecturer with the computer security information science department at Otago University, said police did not need $1.1 million to intercept calls on Vodafone's network.

They simply needed to buy a Machine "the size of a lunchbox" which would enable them to intercept four calls simultaneously.

Dr Wolfe, who has advised the Law Commission on issues of electronic technology and privacy, said giving police uncontrolled interception capabilities gave rise to fears of abuse.

"Law enforcement [officers], like any other group, abuse their power. There need to be measures in place that protect the public from that kind of abuse and with a landline telephone there are."

However, Mr Swain said the police would not be able to intercept calls "willy-nilly" and they would need a warrant in the same way as they did now for bugging fixed telephone lines.

A police spokesman said the department had no comment on Dr Wolfe's claims.

Police were still in discussions with the Government about new legislation which would enable them to keep up with the rapid changes in telecommunications.

A spokeswoman for Vodafone said special technology needed to be installed to intercept calls. She would not comment on the cost or on Dr Wolfe's claims.

She confirmed that the company was working with police on a solution enabling interception.

However, such bugging would require a warrant as for any other interception the police wanted to do.

Laws forcing telecommunications networks to have interception capabilities are already in place in Australia and the United States.

National Party police spokesman Tony Ryall said the Government had to wake up and provide legislation to prevent criminals from avoiding police surveillance.

He said the Government was spending time sorting out privacy issues when "crooks don't need privacy, they need catching."