Bug Sweeping in Adelaide

There is usually a point at which waiting and hoping stops working. If you have the feeling that somebody knows things they should not, there is often a reason for it. We conduct technical surveillance counter measures across Adelaide, sweeping homes, offices, boardrooms and vehicles for listening devices, hidden cameras, trackers and unauthorised transmitters. We will give you a straight assessment of whether this is worth doing at all.

Adelaide is the capital of South Australia and a compact, well planned city. Call 1300 773 293 at any hour, or read on for how we handle bug sweeping here.

What brings people to us in Adelaide

Negotiations have gone badly in a way that suggests the other side was informed
An employee has left under bad terms and had access to your premises
You are about to hold a sensitive board or legal meeting
You are separating and the other party has had access to the house
A device has appeared in a shared vehicle
Meetings in one particular room seem to leak

Local conditions in Adelaide

Working in Adelaide means understanding a city on a plain between the hills and the gulf, with predictable movement corridors. Our operatives plan around that rather than turning up and hoping. Where a matter runs across several days we rotate vehicles and positions so that a familiar car never becomes part of the scenery.

We work regularly across Port Adelaide, Glenelg, Salisbury, Elizabeth, Marion, Norwood and Mount Barker, and we travel further into South Australia where a matter calls for it.

Our approach to bug sweeping in Adelaide

We discuss the situation and identify which spaces genuinely need sweeping
We attend discreetly, often outside business hours, so the sweep itself is not advertised
A radio frequency sweep identifies active transmitting devices
We photograph and document anything found in place before it is touched
A physical and optical search covers power points, smoke alarms, fittings, furniture and vehicles
Network and line checks are conducted where relevant

Bug Sweeping and the law in South Australia

Before anything starts, you should understand what is and is not permitted. The use of listening and optical devices is controlled in South Australia by the Surveillance Devices Act 2016 (SA), and installing one to record a private conversation you are not part of is generally a criminal offence. If we locate a device, we advise you on preserving it properly rather than pulling it out, because how it is handled affects whether it can be used later in a police complaint or a court matter. Evidence gathered outside those limits is worthless to you, and it hands the other side a much better story than the one you were trying to tell.

This is general information rather than legal advice. If your matter is already before a court, speak to your solicitor about what evidence will assist and we will work to that brief.

What it costs

Cost is usually the second question after whether it is legal, so here is a straight answer. Sweeps are quoted by the number and size of the areas to be covered. A single vehicle or a home office in Adelaide is a straightforward fixed fee. A full commercial premises takes longer and is quoted after a short scoping conversation. Travel outside Adelaide is charged separately. We have turned work away when the likely cost outweighed the likely benefit, and we will do it again.

Our credentials

A few facts about us, so you can check them. Sydney Private Investigations has been operating since 2001 and trades as GORA Investigations Pty Ltd, ABN 34 600 932 438. We hold NSW Master Licence 412080174 and VIC Master Licence Z6583160S. Work in South Australia is conducted in accordance with the Security and Investigation Industry Act 1995 (SA), administered by Consumer and Business Services, and where a locally licensed operative is required we engage one rather than cutting a corner.

If your matter really belongs with police or with a solicitor, we will tell you that instead of selling you surveillance.

Frequently asked questions

What can you actually detect?

Radio transmitting bugs, GSM and mobile based listening devices, hidden cameras including wired and battery units, GPS trackers on vehicles, and recording devices found by physical search.

What happens if you find something?

We stop, preserve the scene and advise you. Depending on the situation the right next step may be a police report, a legal letter or quiet monitoring. We do not simply rip it out and hand it to you.

Can you sweep a car?

Yes. Vehicle sweeps are one of the most common requests we get, particularly where a tracker is suspected.

Is a phone app enough to find a bug?

No. Consumer apps do not reliably detect anything and give false confidence. Proper detection needs calibrated equipment and a physical search.

Do you sweep in regional South Australia?

Yes. We travel throughout the state and charge travel transparently.

Other things we do in Adelaide

Talk to an investigator about Adelaide

Call 1300 773 293. The line is answered twenty four hours a day. You will speak to somebody who does this work, not to a receptionist reading from a script.

If you would rather write to us, use the contact form and we will come back to you the same day.