Spies for Hire in the UK

Spies may be secretive, but it’s possible for anyone to buy sophisticated surveillance equipment. The world of spying has always been shrouded in mystery but now anyone can log online and visit a spy shop, browse through surveillance equipment and buy the latest spy gadgets; whether you want to spy on a spouse, or change your career path to become a professional private investigator, with the right equipment and research, the world of spying is an open book.

Bringing Spying and Surveillance Back in from the Cold

The transparency of the kind of equipment available to buy in a spy shop means anyone has the potential to take up spying and surveillance. But intelligence gathering is fast becoming a controversial field, perhaps because of the accessibility of spy equipment available to buy from a spy shop. A whole new breed of voyeurs have been caught as they use spy cameras to film targets. And more disturbingly perhaps, a new book published in America called Spies for Hire: The Secret World of Intelligence Outsourcing by Tom Shoorock has raised the issue that private-sector spies could be compromising national security for the sake of making profits.

Anyone can be a Spy

Being a private investigator sounds glamorous and it’s an increasingly popular career as the accessibility of equipment and spy gathering intelligence becomes more available thanks to specialist spy shops. In America according to Shoorock, the government outsources 70% of its intelligence budget to private companies. The people who shop at a spy shop are not just government spies but a whole host of corporate companies who specialise in spying or intelligence gathering for a living. The war in Iraq further clouded the line between private and government agencies, as private security forces stepped in to the fray.

Intelligence Outsourcing

It seems the art of surveillance is in increasing demand as a result of the war on terror. And in the UK, more security services are stepping up to keep up with the vast army of CCTV cameras in operation to help conquer crime or anti-social behaviour. Now, anyone can buy spy equipment form a spy shop. Buying equipment from a spy shop for personal use or to safeguard homes or small businesses is one thing though, outsourcing intelligence from corporations on matters of national security is raising a few concerns. The huge scale of contract work in the US has raised the fear that potentially sensitive information could fall into the wrong hands.

Looking to hire a spy?

If you are looking to hire a spy for whatever reason, contact our team of professional private investigators in the UK.