A private investigator from Israel was detained in London for allegedly hacking a US company
A London court heard on Thursday about the arrest of an Israeli private investigator who was wanted by the US for allegedly conducting a cyberespionage operation for an unnamed US public relations agency.
On a technicality, however, a judge at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Thursday dismissed an early request to extradite Amit Forlit to the United States.
The United States’ attorney, Amy Labram, informed the judge that Forlit “is accused of engaging in a hack for hire scheme”.
According to Labram, one of Forlit’s firms was paid 16 million pounds ($20 million) “to gather intelligence relating to the Argentinian debt crisis” by an unidentified PR and lobbying firm located in Washington.
Messages requesting comment were not immediately answered by Forlit or his attorney.
According to US authorities, Forlit was detained at London’s Heathrow Airport under an Interpol red notice while attempting to board a trip to Israel. The exact time of Forlit’s arrest remained unknown.
Three counts of conspiracy to commit computer hacking, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and wire fraud are the reasons Forlit is wanted in the United States.
A judge decided that because Forlit was not presented in court within the allotted time limit under British extradition legislation, the United States’ request to extradite him could not proceed.
“He was not produced at court as soon as practicable and the consequences of that … he must – I have no discretion – he must be discharged,” said Judge Michael Snow.
Refusing to comment was the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Flight executive Farhad Azima has accused Forlit separately of hacking into computers in New York. Azima is suing Forlit and others in federal court in Manhattan. Azima’s emails were stolen and used against him in a 2020 trial in London.
In the past, Forlit has admitted to finding Azima’s emails, but he has denied hacking, telling Reuters that he just happened to stumble upon the communications “on the web.”
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