Russian tech surveillance company infiltrated Europe’s law enforcement agencies
The same technology used by Western police was allegedly being developed in Russia and sold to Russian security services.
A U.S.-based data-extraction firm, Oxygen Forensics, has been linked to covert Russian operations, according to newly disclosed documents. The company, originally headquartered in Virginia, has supplied its proprietary software to various European law enforcement agencies, as revealed by the U.S. Justice Department. Oxygen Forensics develops software capable of extracting and analyzing data from electronic devices, a process known as digital forensics.
The company was involved in two EU-funded projects: EVIDENCE and INSPECTr, which aimed to improve digital evidence handling and analysis in criminal investigations. Both projects were active until 2023, despite the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and subsequent European sanctions. The software provided by Oxygen Forensics has been employed by multiple national police agencies across Europe, including Germany, Spain, Italy, and Poland.
U.S. authorities have arrested key figures involved in Oxygen Forensics, including its Russian-based team led by Oleg Sergeyevich Davydov, as well as its Russian sister company MKO Systems, which sold technology to the Russian Security Service (FSB) and the Interior Ministry. Oxygen Forensics' website has been seized by the U.S. government, and the company faces allegations of concealing its Russian ownership and continuing software development while under sanctions.
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