Russia the Likely Suspect Behind ‘Nest of Spies’ in Australia: Expert

The Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, on Jan. 23, 2016. Zeffss1/iStock

Defence experts believe Russia is the most likely suspect behind the “nest of spies” uncovered by Australia’s domestic spy agency.

On Wednesday, Mike Burgess, director-general of the Australian Security and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), delivered the Annual Threat Assessment and outlined how, over the past year, ASIO had dealt with a “significant” number of spies or proxies, and that threats were wide-ranging and not just from China.

He detailed how the agency combated the evolving twin threats of espionage and extremist activity in Australia and revealed that ideology-based extremism now accounted for 40 percent of the agency’s caseload.

Australian Security Intelligence Organisation ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess preparing for his annual speech at ASIO headquarters in Canberra, Wednesday, March 17, 2021. AAP Image/Mick Tsikas

While COVID-19 has forced many spy networks to shift their activities online, the agency was still disrupting traditional espionage efforts, including “infiltration, coercion, or the recruitment of sources.”

It follows Burgess’ warning last year that Australia faced an “unprecedented” level of foreign espionage in the country, saying there was more activity than during the Cold War.

The spy chief revealed how just last year, ASIO confronted a spy network working on behalf of a foreign intelligence service, heavily hinting that it was not Beijing.

“The spies developed targeted relationships with current and former politicians, a foreign embassy and a state police service,” he told attendees.

“They monitored their country’s diaspora community. They tried to obtain classified information about Australia’s trade relationships. They asked a public servant to provide information on security protocols at a major airport,” he added.

Travellers walk towards the departures gate at the International Airport in Sydney, Australia, on March 25, 2020. Mark Metcalfe/Getty Images

“They successfully cultivated and recruited an Australian government security clearance holder who had access to sensitive details of defence technology.”

ASIO intercepted the individual and cancelled their security clearance. The agency also confronted the foreign spies and “quietly and professionally” removed them from Australia.

“And before you jump to conclusions—and to underline my point that multiple countries are trying to conduct espionage and foreign interference in Australia—I want to point out that the foreign intelligence service was not from a country in our region,” Burgess added.

Michael Shoebridge, defence director at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, told The Epoch Times, “This operation was conducted by a foreign power not from Australia’s region (not an Indo-Pacific power). So, looking at a combination of capability and intent involved, it would be reasonable to suspect it was a Russian operation.”

He said Russia’s interest could be in military and intelligence technologies developed in Australia, particularly U.S.-backed innovations.

“Vaccine-related insights and research are no doubt of interest too,” he added.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison takes a tour at the AstraZeneca laboratories in Macquarie Park, in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 19, 2020. Nick Moir/Pool/Getty Images

“However, without internal government knowledge, it’s not possible to be definitive on this.”

Joseph Siracusa, adjunct professor at Curtin University and expert in international security, believed “it could only be Russia.”

“There’s no one else who can invest that type of time and money,” he told The Epoch Times.

He said the possibility of Russian spy rings operating in Australia was not new. However, what was notable was the timing of such alleged activities.

“It’s at a time when the world is in flux between Russian revanchism and Chinese assertiveness,” he added, saying Russian military officials were still driven by Soviet-era doctrine.

Russia's President Vladimir Putin attends a video conference during the World Economic Forum (WEF) of the Davos Agenda in Moscow, Russia, January 27, 2021. Sputnik/Mikhail Klimentyev/Kremlin via Reuters

Siracusa said Australian secrets were not the main target. But its personnel, who were “interoperable”—versed in the operational capabilities—of other nation’s militaries, were valuable.

“They’re (Australian diplomatic and military personnel) embedded in all the naval staffs, like the U.S. Seventh Fleet. They would probably have two to three degrees separation from the Pentagon,” he said.

US-related state secrets, patents, and research was the sort of information that was sought-after.

Clive Williams, visiting professor at the Australian National University’s Centre for Military and Security Law, said Russian activities had focused traditionally on “pressuring and blackmailing” individuals for information connected to national security.

Chinese activities differed in that they focused on advancing Beijing’s economic interests and gaining political influence, Williams wrote in the Sydney Morning Herald.

Meanwhile, Shoebridge warned that despite ASIO’s Burgess not singling out Beijing in his speech, the overall threat assessment he delivered hinted at the scale and capacity of the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) espionage activities.

“Operations like the ‘nest of spies’ ASIO dismantled are very likely being conducted by Beijing in Australia right now,” he said. “And the degree of difficulty in discovering them before they inflict security damage is obvious from ASIO’s assessment.”