At Beijing security fair, an arms race for surveillance tech

DC-8811 Forensic Magicube, a portable device made by Meiya Pico that can scan mobile phones, is seen on display at the China International Exhibition on Police Equipment in Beijing, China May 16, 2018. REUTERS/Pei Li

BEIJING: It can crack your smartphone password in seconds, rip personal data from call and messaging apps, and peruse your contact book.

The Chinese-made XDH-CF-5600 scanner – or “mobile phone sleuth”, as sales staff described it when touting its claimed features – was one of hundreds of surveillance gadgets on display at a recent police equipment fair in Beijing.