The process of technological development of the society involves the emergence of not only new opportunities, but also new potential threats. Special technical means for secret obtaining information are the devices with unique characteristics that determine their use in law enforcement. At the same time, illegal trafficking of these devices poses a threat to the objects of criminal law protection. The article analyzes the crimes, as provided for by Art. 138.1 of the Criminal Code, committed on the territory of Irkutsk Oblast over the period from 2011 to 2017. It brings forth the criminological features of crimes, as provided for by Art. 138.1 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation, committed on the territory of Irkutsk Oblast: it describes the typical methods and time of committing crimes, the peculiarities of the criminals' personality. In addition, this paper offers measures to counteract this type of crime. It gives a criminological characteristics of the crimes connected with illicit trafficking of special technical means for secret receiving of information.