More than 20 fake phone poles, which are said to be tools to spy on public communications, have been found in the United Kingdom, according to a new investigation.
The investigation was conducted by the UK-based Sky News, and its findings were released on Wednesday.
The poles, which were found in London, have on them tools known in the communications industry as International Mobile Subscriber Identity, also known as Stingrays.
It was the first time such espionage tools were detected in the country.
According to the investigation, the fake communication posts are actually intercepting phone calls and collecting all their data.
Authorities, however, have not revealed who is controlling the masts and for what purpose.
In the past, the Scotland Yard, the territorial police force responsible for policing most of London, reportedly bought some of the posts on which the spying devices were found.
The transactions were said to be conducted by the Scotland Yard in 2009, leaving many to suspect that the police force is behind the spying on UK citizens.