Belarus’s secret services say they have detained members of a group suspected of providing illegal spying services to private clients.
The KGB announced on October 29 that the suspects were detained in the capital, Minsk.
According to the statement, the group has targeted more than 2,000 individuals in the past three years, including officials, journalists, police chiefs, customs officers, and military personnel.
The suspects, whose number and identities were not disclosed, are accused of illegally listening to private conversations via telephones, listening devices planted in buildings, and hacking personal Skype, Viber, WhatsApp, Facebook, and other online social networks.
They face up to four years in jail.
More than 20 probes have also been launched against the alleged clients of the suspects, the KGB said.