Virtual criminality with actual damages

Only 10 years ago nobody could imagine that computer technology crimes would become as trivial as thievery, robberies and homicide. Unfortunately world trends in this sphere didn’t pass over Belarus.

Only 10 years ago nobody could imagine that computer technology crimes would become as trivial as thievery, robberies and homicide. Unfortunately world trends in this sphere didn’t pass over Belarus.

Belarusian law enforcement agencies attest to the continuing growth of cybercrimes. Thus in 2005 178 crimes against information security was recorded, in 2006 – 334 crimes, in 2007 – 996, as well as in districts: Brest district – 136 (2006 – 44), Vitebsk district – 133 (47), Gomel district – 128 (51), Grodno district – 118 (53), Mogilev district – 125 (46) and Minsk city and Minsk district – 356 (93). Of them there are 39 (in 2006 -16) grave offences, 915 (277) less serious crimes and 42 (41) crimes posing not a big threat to public safety are recorded.

As it is reported by Belarusian Interior Ministry’s information and public relation department the growth in number of such crimes as theft with the help of computer is observed in cyber crimes structure (897 – 239; +237,3%).

However ITers with shoulder straps keep careful watch. 318 offenders against information security are detected and kept a file on, of them 314 offenders are prosecuted. Often they are adult enough (96, 2%).

In 2007 in Belarusian Ministry of Interior software was developed for permanent control over information about IMEI numbers of the mobile phones that are lost, stolen or lost as a result of criminal assaults. The new system functions round-the-clock with Velcom and MTC cellular operator. At present there are 29682 mobile numbers in the IMEI database that are taken under control. It made it possible already form June of the current year to find 3249 mobile phones and to detect 1160 crimes (out of them 110 crimes being grave).

Also last year a range of investigation and search operations and special campaigns against international organized criminal groups committing crimes in the sphere of high tech.

In particular as a result of special operations conducted through the instrumentality of Federal Security Service department in Smolensk district in the Russian Federation a group of citizens of Belarus was revealed who in the period of 2003-2006 made orders of different goods in internet shop of “Amazon.com” company with the use of somebody else’s money cards requisites of foreign banks.

The Republic of Belarus furthers actively international community against the spread of child pornography in Internet. The high professional level of the workers of Department for crimes detection in the sphere of high tech of Belarusian Ministry of Interior is proved by the fact that they were invited four times for participation in special international operation against child pornography spread in Internet under the codename “Innocent pictures”. As a result thousands of such resources were detected and ended their existence; thousands of people all over the world involved in their creation and spreading were prosecuted and the activity of the 4 largest criminal systems of payments was ended.