Phone tracking spyware likely used to capture Dubai princess
The story of the failed escape of princess Latifa, the daughter of Dubai’s ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum, has seen many twists and turns but the mystery behind the recapturing of the runaway princess thousands of miles away from the UAE remains.
Now, the former French Naval officer who helped Emirati
princess Latifa escape from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in early 2018 has
claimed that Latifa’s capture could have been made possible with help of
malicious software used to track the compromised cell phones likely carried by
Latifa’s friend.
Hervé Jaubert planned Latifa’s escape for years and was
responsible for its execution three years ago. Speaking exclusively to India
Today TV, Jaubert has said that it was highly unlikely that there was any other
way to track Latifa, who was hiding in his yacht, this far from the UAE
jurisdiction on the eighth day of their escape.
Sheikha Latifa’s friends have been maintaining that their
boat was attacked in March 2018 near the coast of Goa and the princess was
forcefully captured and sent back to Dubai.
Before this half-successful exfiltration operation of the
princess, Jaubert had staged an undetectable escape from the UAE for himself.
His own successful escape from Dubai earned him the trust of
Latifa who contacted Jaubert back in 2011.
Jaubert had been in contact with the daughter of Dubai’s
ruler for almost seven years prior to their attempted escape in February 2018.
Jaubert had found ways to secure their conversation with the
princess during this period.
“Princess Latifa contacted me a long time ago in 2011, she
wanted to leave UAE and move to the US, it took a long time to set up the
escape plan. We had long conversations and I secured our conversation. I made
sure that no one could intercept our communication” Jaubert explained.
Pointing towards the possible use of geo-location malware,
he added that unlike the satellite phones it was easier to track the possible
location of a mobile phone once it is compromised with specific software.
Implying that most high-value cell phones in the UAE are
likely compromised, he said, “If it was a phone from anywhere else it might
have been ok but a phone from Dubai is compromised, it was an absolute no-no to
take with them a phone from Dubai,” Jaubert added.
Speaking to India Today TV, Jaubert said that the two mobile
phones were brought to his boat without his knowledge and against his strict
directives. He confirmed that he had explicitly told the princess and her
friend, not to carry any cell phone with her.
“I explained her (Latifa) the technology and told Latifa,
before you escape, leave your phone behind and I told the same to her friend,
not one or two times but twenty times and she acknowledged,” Jaubert said.
Latifa was accompanied by her fitness trainer and friend
Tiina Jauhiainen on February 24 when they took a trip to Oman and later met
Jaubert on his US-registered yacht Nostromo. Jauhianinen and Latifa also took a
selfie during the first leg of this trip.
Earlier, Canada-based independent interdisciplinary
laboratory Citizen’s Lab had revealed that the notorious spyware firm NSO
Group’s phone snooping software Pegasus was used to target individuals in the
UAE. Another report claimed that the phone snooping spyware was sold by the
Israeli firm to the UAE government for millions of dollars.
THE INDIAN ANGLE
The boat Nostromo sailed with Latifa, Tiina, Jaubert and
three crew members on February 24, 2018, from Oman and sailed towards India
across the Arabian Sea. The eyewitness account by Jaubert alleges that his boat
was attacked by Indian forces in a “vicious attack” on March 4, 2018, in the
international waters. The Government of India had refuted these allegations.
In January 2018, then-MoS for External Affairs VK Singh told
the Parliament that the reports of the government repatriating the Emirati
Princess following an operation by the Coast Guard were not true. Jaubert on
the other hand, claims that the operation involved “500 personnel including
navy warships and helicopters”. Without divulging further details, Jaubert has
said that he is initiating further legal actions in this case.
DISSENT WITHIN THE CAMPAIGN
Recently, BBC’s investigative news programme Panorama showed
secret videos filmed by Latifa where she alleged that she was been kept hostage
in a barricaded villa by the royal family.
The string of videos supposedly filmed months back by Latifa
using a smuggled phone stopped recently. Latifa’s friend Tiina and UK-based
lawyer David Haigh have co-founded the Free Latifa campaign which has
petitioned the UK government and the United Nations to intervene.
However, Jaubert who once was a key character in Latifa’s
struggle to attain freedom, has his own doubts.
“I don’t want to be associated with these people,” he said.
He claimed that making noises and online campaigns are going
to do very little to help Latifa at this stage.
“She is a hostage in solitary confinement and vulnerable,
when I see these videos where Latifa says she contacted this person or that
person I see a red flag because it looks like Latifa is being coached to say
this and it’s dangerous,” he said.
He cites his own example and says that his seven years of
secret conversation with Latifa remained secret.
Jaubert advocates for covert diplomatic solutions which in
his opinion are more likely to help the princess at this stage than the online
campaigns.
Recently, the United Nations asked the UAE for proof of life
in this case.
Michelle Bachelet, the UN high commissioner for human
rights, said that the UN has “expressed concerns regarding the situation, in
light of the disturbing videos” adding that the global body has asked the UAE
government for proof of life.
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