Israeli PI mistakenly freed by UK after arrest over alleged hack-for-hire scheme

Amit Forlit’s whereabouts unknown after procedural issue leads to no-show at court hearing; private eye accused of being paid to gather information about Argentinian debt crisis

Passengers walk at Heathrow Airport, in London, May 27, 2023. (AP/Kin Cheung)
Passengers walk at Heathrow Airport, in London, May 27, 2023. (AP/Kin Cheung)

Reuters — An Israeli private investigator arrested over allegations of hacking on behalf of an unnamed US lobbying firm was released because of a procedural error, British authorities said Thursday.

Amit Forlit was arrested at London’s Heathrow Airport on April 30 at the request of US authorities, who accuse him of engaging in a hack-for-hire scheme to gather intelligence about the dispute over the aftermath of Argentina’s debt default.

But the National Crime Agency said that “due to a misunderstanding, he wasn’t produced at court within the allocated timeframe.”

“His case was subsequently discharged by the Judge and he was released,” the agency said in a statement.

British prosecutors confirmed in a statement that the case against Forlit had been discharged “and therefore there are no proceedings against him at this time.”

Reuters could not determine Forlit’s current whereabouts. His lawyers in the United States — where he faces a separate lawsuit over a different set of hacking allegations — did not return several messages seeking comment.

In previous conversations with Reuters, Forlit has denied being a hacker.

The US Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment.

In comments to a British court last week, a lawyer representing the United States said an unnamed Washington-based lobbying and public relations firm had paid one of Forlit’s companies 16 million pounds ($20 million) to gather information “relating to the Argentinian debt crisis.”

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