Covert & Undercover Investigations
Some facts may be difficult to establish if the people involved know an investigation is taking place.
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Ghosthawk can conduct covert enquiries and controlled undercover deployments where those methods are lawful, necessary and proportionate to a legitimate investigation. A single controlled purchase or customer-style transaction is normally handled through Test & Evidential Purchasing rather than treated as undercover work.
How the instruction develops
Define the objective. Choose the covert method. Preserve the result.
The exact method can change as the evidence develops, but the objective, authority and professional phase remain clear. Further work is only added where it would materially advance the instruction.
Define what needs to be established
Start with the factual question and why overt enquiries would risk changing or revealing the conduct being investigated.
Choose the right covert method
Use a targeted covert enquiry or, only where genuinely required, a more structured undercover deployment with clear boundaries.
Preserve the result
Create a contemporaneous operational record and manage supporting material so the outcome can be incorporated into the wider investigation.
What you receive
A usable outcome — not just activity.
The output is defined around the authorised covert objective and the evidential value of what is learned or recorded.
Controlled operational record
A documented account of the authorised activity, relevant interactions and material events.
Developed evidence or intelligence
Information or evidence obtained through the approved covert approach, with provenance and limitations recorded.
Structured outcome report
Findings against the agreed objective, including what was established, what remains uncertain and any justified next step.
Defined scope
Clear scope before work starts.
Ghosthawk agrees what the instruction or authorised phase is intended to establish and the professional effort included before work begins.
Pricing basis
Covert and undercover work is not sold through a generic public package ladder because the objective, necessity, proportionality, governance and staffing vary materially by case.
Methods that may be relevant
Use only what the instruction needs.
The service is not a checklist of techniques. Methods are selected because they help answer the agreed question, not simply because they are available.
Discuss this instruction
Tell us the situation and the outcome you need.
You do not need to select the perfect service or prepare a complete evidence pack before contacting us. Give us the essential facts and we will assess the appropriate first step.
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