The hacker arsenal in the center of Warsaw. Police detained three Ukrainian citizens [PHOTOS]

Warsaw police revealed unusual equipment in the car of three Ukrainians. Inside was a spy device detector, laptops, flippers and advanced hacking equipment.

Stopping in the heart of the capital

Officers from the downtown police department conducted a car inspection that raised their suspicions during a routine patrol. Three men aged 39, 42 and 43 were travelling in the vehicle – all Ukrainian citizens. As it quickly turned out, their luggage was not typical.

While searching the vehicle, police found a set of technological devices, including spy equipment detectors, antenna, laptops and known in the hacking environment Flipper Zero – a tool used, among others, for testing electronic security.

What is Flipper Zero and what is it for?

Flipper Zero is a small device that has gained popularity among cybersecurity enthusiasts. It is officially used for testing and learning the operating rules of RFID systems, access cards or remote pilots. However, in the wrong hands it can be used for:

• the cloning of proximity cards signals,
• code capture from garage pilots,
• disrupt simple radio transmissions.

This is why Flipper is an object of interest to services in many countries.

Police are investigating possible connections

Secured electronic devices were handed over to specialists from the Warsaw Management Board of the Central Bureau for Combating Cybercrime, who dealt with their detailed analysis. Officers had to deal with encrypted data carriers, however, the team's efficient operations allowed them to be decrypted and sourced relevant materials for further proceedings.

Investigators are trying to determine for what purposes it may have been used and whether men were involved in criminal activity – e.g. electronic burglaries, wiretaps or data trafficking.

According to unofficial reports similar to the investigation, one of the detainees previously resided in the European Union countries where he conducted electronics and IT services. Police do not rule out that the equipment was intended to detect spy devices or security tests – however, officers are cautious in assessing these translations.

Police call for vigilance and remind that It's not illegal to have hacking devices, but to use them for criminal purposes..

What's next on the case?

Three Ukrainian citizens were transported to police custody. The prosecution is conducting investigations and is about to decide whether to press charges.

As the spokesman for the Capital Command announces, the case has a "developmental character" because police are analyzing secure data from laptops and devices. The results of the experts may reveal whether we are dealing with a group dealing with cybercrime with a wider scope.