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before going offshore to taking five steps.

And then there was his iPhone. "There was a period of time when my battery would always drain, all the time." It caused puzzlement and questions over whether he needed a new phone.

"In hindsight, you began to realise the extent of the surveillance operation."

Dotcom mentally tracked back through every visitor who had been to the house. He considered the work done on the mansion — there were extensive renovations prior to the raid. He formed the belief that the surveillance had been extensive, over prolonged periods and that it even included the installation of bugging equipment on the property. It was the reason the police had refused to allow any external lawyers onto the property on the day of the raid, he believed.

"What we know today is that there was a much bigger extent of surveillance and sharing with the US government than admitted," says Dotcom. "When you look at all these bits and pieces, you quickly get there is a much bigger picture than the things currently out there.

"I don't think you will see another raid like that. They did that for Hollywood and they made a big event out of it because they wanted to impress the US government. This was all show."

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