A tracking device has been found by state protection officers on a vehicle used by the Polish Presidential Office, Polish news outlet TVN 24 reported on Tuesday.
State Protection Service (SOP) officers made the discovery shortly after the vehicle had returned from a trip to Ukraine.
According to the news outlet, the device allowed for real-time tracking of the vehicle’s location based on its GPS coordinates, and preliminary investigations suggested the vehicle could have been being tracked for several months.
The discovery was made by bomb technicians of the SOP, who, in line with procedures, were checking cars set to be included in the presidential motorcade for any explosive devices.
It is understood that the vehicle had not been recently used by Polish President Andrzej Duda but by members of his entourage; however, this doesn’t rule out the possibility that he could have used the compromised car in the future.
“There was an uproar, as it wasn’t clear who installed the device,” an SOP officer told TVN24. “It turned out that this car might have been driving with this device for several months and was often included in the president’s motorcade, including during his trips to Ukraine,” they added.
The incident has sparked a mass check of all vehicles assigned to the presidential office that may be integrated into convoys with protected individuals. Previously, the frequency of such checks varied.
Typically, the presidential motorcade consists of three cars: one primary vehicle carrying the president and two protective vehicles. Additional cars can be added with SOP approval.
The press office of the Polish Presidential Office did not comment on the revelation, nor did the press spokesperson for SOP or the ABW (Agency of Internal Security) press services.
