Cyprus’ notorious black surveillance van remains under the custody of the Customs Department at its state warehouse in Limassol, years after it became the centre of a high-profile investigation into surveillance technology.
Customs Department spokesman Giorgos Constantinou confirmed to Politis that the vehicle remains in storage along with the equipment returned by police after the criminal investigation concluded.
Following the closure of the case and the suspension of criminal proceedings against former Mossad agent Tal Dilian and his associates, police returned the van and its electronic equipment to Customs. The surveillance software previously installed on the equipment had been removed.
Why the van was not initially inspected
The black van entered Cyprus under a declaration stating that it carried meteorological equipment.
On 4 October 2018, Dilian’s Cyprus-based company Wispear Systems Ltd, which specialised in surveillance technology, applied to the Customs Department to register the vehicle, a Chevrolet Savana with Israeli registration number 57-983-69.
In its letter, the company said the van contained specialised equipment, including computers, servers and screens, which would be used to measure weather conditions and phenomena.
Wispear also stated that it intended to use the vehicle to demonstrate the systems and technology installed inside it.
The application was approved on 22 November 2018, with temporary importation granted for one year.
Because the vehicle was temporarily imported rather than intended for free circulation in Cyprus, the required customs procedures were completed and it was released without undergoing inspection by another government service.
Van seized a year later
One year later, the Customs Department seized the vehicle as part of an investigation into possible customs offences and handed it over to police on the same day.
The van subsequently became a central piece of evidence in the investigation surrounding Dilian and Wispear Systems.
Dilian had used the vehicle to demonstrate his company’s surveillance technology before the case attracted widespread public and political attention.
Equipment returned to Customs
After the criminal case was closed, police returned all exhibits relating to the investigation to the Customs Department on 9 May 2022.
The returned material included the black van itself and the electronic equipment it contained, including:
- Computers.
- Antennas and access points.
- Mobile telecommunications equipment.
- Other electronic devices and systems.
Before the equipment was returned, the surveillance software installed on the devices was removed.
The vehicle and remaining equipment have stayed under Customs control at the Limassol state warehouse ever since.
