Only Government Agencies Can Purchase

It has transpired that manufacturers of wiretapping equipment in the United States has already developed devices to wiretap conversations over the CDMA cellular phones. They are confirmed to have traded those devices internationally.

In addition, senior officials of the CIA and the FBI confirmed that cellular phone bugging devices were developed long time ago, and have become commercially available for a long time.

Yesterday, DPL, inc., a California-based corporation manufacturing bugging devices, confirmed, "We have the bugging devices to wiretap conversations over the cellular phones using the CDMA [which is used in Korea]. If terms are met, we could sell them." But the company cautioned, "We can`t sell them to an individual unless the individual has obtained a verification that the end-user is a government agency." This confirmation was in the return e-mail of DPL to our paper`s [i.e. Dong A`s] inquiry.

Previously in September, 2000, another US company in New York, CSS, Inc., made a business offer to a Korean communication security firm. At that time, the company sent a catalog containing the information on the CDMA cellular phone bugging devices. Therefore, this is the second time that the existence and purchasablility of the CDMA wiretapping device is confirmed.

In addition, a member of Grand National Party, who has just returned from his trip to the United States, said, "I made an inquiry into the existence of cellular phone wiretapping devices, when I met with senior members [of the CIA and the FBI]. With regard to the allegation that its is impossible to wiretap the CDMA cellular phones, they replied, `That is absolutely not true.`"

The senior members cited a case where US authorities foiled an attempt of CSS, Inc., to sell the expensive cellular phone wiretapping devices to Columbia in April, added the GNP member.

mook@donga.com tao4@donga.com