ROME

A cyber-espionage scandal in Italy involving a former high-ranking police officer has sparked allegations that confidential information about important companies and individuals was sold to foreign intelligence agencies, including those of Israel and the Vatican, for financial gain.

The Milan prosecutor’s office, which is leading the investigation, revealed that a cyber-espionage network allegedly obtained sensitive information about important figures.

The main suspects include former police officer Carmine Gallo, once celebrated as a “super cop”, and Enrico Pazzali, president of the Milan Fair Foundation.

The investigation suggests that the suspects accessed data by infiltrating the servers of ministries and police departments, which were then leaked to foreign intelligence agencies.

Gallo and Pazzali are accused of selling the sensitive information through their private company, Equalize, which allegedly made millions of euros from the transactions.

Recent reports in the Italian media indicated that Gallo, who is currently under house arrest, used an encrypted phone equipped with Israeli technology.

The revelation raised questions about the involvement of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency. It has been claimed that Mossad agents may have set up agreements with Equalize, engaging in information sharing.

In particular, two people suspected of being Mossad agents were reported to have visited Equalize during the investigation.

The investigation also revealed that the stolen data included sensitive information about major Italian companies such as energy firm ENI, Mediolanum Bank and Barilla, as well as details about well-known figures such as Olympic athlete Marcell Jacobs and several politicians.

The data is believed to have been intended for use in influencing business dynamics and public procedures or sold to intelligence agencies for profit.

One of the individuals detained, Nunzio Samuele Calamucci, allegedly possessed 15 terabytes of data — the equivalent of 800,000 files — and was recorded on wiretaps discussing possible transactions.

“Putin’s right hand… The Church wants this… Will we help the Church against Russia or not? Will they give us something for next year?” was heard on a wiretap.

Another suspect, Marco Malerba, a former police officer on house arrest, admitted to giving Gallo access to the state database, explaining that he “couldn’t say no” because of Gallo’s authority over him.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni condemned the scandal as “unacceptable”, stressing that “there is an information market in Italy” that needs to be curtailed.

She noted that a cyber security decree had already been issued before the revelations and a technical committee was now working on a new decree.

Defense Minister Guido Crosetto called for an immediate parliamentary inquiry, warning that state secrets could be at risk and described the leaked information as only the “tip of the iceberg”.

Anti-mafia prosecutor Giovanni Melillo previously said the investigation had uncovered “a massive and alarming market in confidential data”.

As the scandal unfolds, the implications for Italy’s cybersecurity landscape and the integrity of its institutions remain profound.

*Gizem Nisa Cebi contributed to this story from Istanbul

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