SPY NEWS: 2023 — Week 2

Summary of the espionage-related news stories for the Week 2 (January 8–14) of 2023.

1. Mossad Conducts Espionage Operations in US to Shift Balance of Power in Israel’s Favour

The Iranian Press TV reported on January 8th that “Israel’s spy agency, Mossad, treats the United States as if it is a “hostile power”, partly to shift the balance of power in favor of Tel Aviv’s interests, an academic has said citing the Zionist regime’s involvement in espionage activities against the US. Pro-Palestine professor, David Miller, sacked by Bristol University over his criticism of Israel and Zionism, made the comments in Press TV’s Palestine Declassified aired on Saturday. With $10.4 million US daily foreign aid to Israel, some might think that the US and Israel could not be closer, however, Israel is considered by US intelligence officials to be one of the most aggressive regimes in launching surveillance operations on US soil, targeting even the very seat of power. Miller explained that while the US is supposed to be an ally, “the way in which Mossad operates is to assume and to treat the US as if it was a hostile power.” He went on to add that there is no such allegation against other countries’ spy agencies, rather it is only Mossad which is regarded as being the most aggressive of the foreign spy agencies. “So this is partly about shifting the balance of power in favor of Israeli interests, even though the Americans are already extremely favorable towards the Israelis. It helps to tip the balance against the possibility of any sensible activity in relation to the Palestinian issue, for example,” Miller said.”

2. Chinese ‘Spy’ Who Tried to Defect to Australia Claiming he Would Spill Beijing’s Espionage Secrets is Denied a Visa Despite Fears for his Safety if he is Deported

Daily Mail reported on January 8th that “a confessed spy for Beijing who sensationally went on national TV to expose the extent of China’s overseas espionage activities has been denied the right to stay in Australia. Liqiang Wang, 32, has lost his appeal for refugee asylum after a tribunal ruled he had committed serious fraud against an Australian citizen. This leaves the Chinese national open to deportation despite the tribunal saying Mr Wang had ‘well-founded’ fears of what might happen should he return to his homeland. Mr Wang appeared on Nine’s 60 Minutes in 2019 to out himself as a Chinese operative who had been tasked with undercover work in Hong Kong and Taiwan to further Beijing’s interests. During his media appearances Mr Wang said he met the head of Chinese spy operations in Australia, who he said worked in the energy sector, and passed a dossier to ASIO detailing his activities and what he knew of Beijing’s spy network. Despite Mr Wang’s claims he would be killed if was returned to China immigration officials refused to turn his tourist visa into a refugee one because of an alleged fraud committed against Sydney businessman Filip Shu.”

3. Spy Collection: Cellebrite UME-36 Pro for Digital Intelligence Collection

On January 9th we published this new video. As per its description, “in this episode we present one of the most successful digital intelligence collection devices, the Universal Memory Exchanger (UME) 36 Pro of the Israeli Cellebrite. This device was used both commercially and by government agencies (law enforcement and intelligence community) in the period of 2007–2013. It was designed as a memory exchanging solution but it became popular among investigators, including digital forensics and Cellular Exploitation (CELLEX) experts.”

4. India’s Cyber Espionage Campaign

The Pakistani Nation newspaper reported on January 8th that “on September 17, 2021, Forbes unveiled some shocking facts. In the era of digital modernisation, cyber-attacks are the most common tool used by hackers to steal classified information of a government, institution, and the public. India’s use of nefarious tactics to establish its presence in the region is nothing new. However, it is an open secret that all the countries in the region are aware of this and have expressed their concerns in various international forums. In this connection, the worst affected countries are Pakistan and China. They have repeatedly provided details to the international community and organisations with evidence of India’s nefarious intentions and high-handed tactics. It is pertinent to note that China’s case is different from Pakistan’s since China has become such a substantial economic and defense power that India cannot compete with it. Moreover, as a permanent member of the Security Council, China enjoys a position in the international community and international bodies that India cannot harm. That is why India only speaks against China and uses the cyber sphere for spying.”

5. United States: Randy Nixon Roped in to Get CIA Up to Speed on OSINT

Intelligence Online reported on January 13th that “the CIA’s new Open Source Enterprise director will be expected to speed up the agency’s development in open source intelligence just as the field is causing increasing concern and sparking rivalry in Washington, where it is seen as a “clean” and efficient tool to promote political and other forms of influence.”

6. Ukrainian SBU Dismantled Disinformation Network in Kyiv

On January 9th Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that they “detained the organisers of the Russian “troll factory” in Kyiv. Cyber ​​specialists of the Security Service neutralised the pro-Kremlin “troll factory” in Kyiv. The perpetrators spread appeals in social networks to support armed aggression against Ukraine and justified the war crimes of the Russian occupiers. It was established that as a primary source the Internet agents used the Telegram channel of the Moscow propagandist Yuriy Podolyak, a Russian blogger with more than 2.7 million subscribers. “Trolls” spread his publications through reposts or under the guise of “own” publications in social networks. According to the investigation, the subversive activity in the Kyiv region was organised by two local residents. Computer equipment for conducting “infowar” and communication with Russian handlers was installed in their own residences in the capital and Bila Tserkva. In order to massively “cover” the internet space, the attackers tried to attract new members of the propaganda “cell” of the Kremlin. In order to increase the size of the “audience”, hundreds of bot accounts were used, on behalf of which posts with Russian propaganda were distributed and commented on. During searches of the perpetrators’ residences, law enforcement officers found mobile phones and computers with evidence of criminal activities.”

7. Podcast: Team House: Retired SMU Operator Pat Mac

On January 11th the Team House published a new podcast episode featuring Patrick “Pat” McNamara who has served in the Delta Force and an undercover unit inside Germany during the Cold War era. As per the video’s description, “Patrick McNamara spent 22 years in the United States Army in a myriad of special operations units. When he worked in the premier special missions unit, he became an impeccable marksman, shooting with accurate, lethal results and tactical effectiveness. While serving as his Unit’s Marksmanship NCO, he developed his own marksmanship club with NRA, CMP, and USPSA affiliations. Mac ran monthly IPSC matches and ran semi annual military marksmanship championships to encourage marksmanship fundamentals and competitiveness throughout the Army. He retired from the Army’s premier hostage rescue unit as a Sergeant Major and is the author of T.A.P.S. (Tactical Application of Practical Shooting) and Sentinel.”

8. The Menagerie of Israeli Spies

The Times of Israel published this article on January 8th saying that “a couple of days ago the official Palestinian Authority daily news outlet, Al-Hayat Al Jadida reported to its readers that Israelis have now recruited cows to act as spies. According to an elder in the village of Khirbet Yanum, in order to monitor every detail “on the neck of each cow, they hang a medallion with a recording device on it and sometimes cameras.” The elder elaborated that these cows are actually recruited and trained and that he has seen it. This is the stuff cartoons are made of. Several years ago Egyptian police arrested a duck they suspected was sent to Israel as a spy. It was reported in Al-Ahram, Egypt’s official news agency. Apparently a fisherman on the Nile River spotted a group of ducks, one of which had what he thought was a device attached to its feathers. He immediately alerted officials who expressed concern that this duck was sent by Israel for the purpose of spying. It’s hard to imagine a simple fisherman with the knowledge, technical wherewithal, and the concern to be able to reach the right authorities so quickly and efficiently. Again in Egypt the Governor of South Sinai blamed shark attacks on tourists on the Mossad. “We must not discount the possibility that Mossad threw the sharks into the sea, in order to attack tourists who are having fun in Sharm el Sheikh.” Turkey also reported that they believe they’d found a bird that was used by Israel for espionage purposes. According to the report, a Turkish farmer found a dead bird whose left nostril was apparently three times larger than its right nostril, leading authorities to conclude that Israel had implanted a surveillance device in its beak. Of all the dead birds in Turkey, this farmer found the one with an enlarged nostril which of course had to be the work of Israel.”

9. Latvian VDD Initiates Criminal Proceedings for Russian Agent

Following last week’s story #9, on January 9th the Latvian VDD reported that “criminal proceedings against this person were initiated by the VDD on January 2 of this year in connection with the suspicion of the commission of the criminal offences specified in Articles 74.1 and 78 of the Criminal Law, i.e. for public justification and glorification of possible crimes against peace and war crimes and for activities aimed at ethnic inciting hatred. The information obtained by the VDD over a longer period of time shows that the person acted purposefully and systematically. VDD has found several profiles created by a person on the video sharing platform “TikTok”, which were regularly supplemented with content by a Russian supporter. In the video materials published on these profiles and in the live broadcasts held, the person spread misinformation about what is happening in Latvia, made hostile comments about Latvians and Ukrainians, and also praised the Russian armed forces and Russia’s war in Ukraine. The VDD has applied the suspect status to the person. On January 6, the court imposed bail on the person, while determining that it can be canceled if a bail of 3500 Euros is paid within one month.”

10. Spain Court Hearts Rabat Case Over Reporter’s Spyware Claim

France24 reported on January 13th that “Morocco demanded Friday that a Madrid court rule it had nothing to do with the possible installation of Pegasus spyware on the phone of a Spanish journalist, who has blamed Rabat. Its call came as the court heard Rabat’s case against Ignacio Cembrero, an expert on Spain-Morocco relations, who works for El Confidencial news website. “It is not possible to confirm that the Kingdom of Morocco has any responsibility whatsoever” in this spyware affair, Sergio Berenguer, one of Rabat’s lawyers told the court. Asked if he wanted to retract his claim that Morocco was responsible for bugging his phone with the spyware, Cerebrometer refused to back down. “I confirm everything that I’ve said,” he told the court, which will issue its decision in the coming weeks. The dispute stems back to July 2021 when a joint investigation by several Western media outlets found that more than 50,000 people around the world — among them activists, journalists, executives and politicians — had been spied on using the software developed by Israeli firm NSO. The spyware infiltrates mobile phones to extract data or to activate a camera or microphone to spy on their owners. On the list were the phone numbers of least 180 journalists in 20 countries who had been flagged as targets for surveillance by NSO clients. Morocco was singled out as one of the countries that had bought the programme and whose intelligence services had used the spyware against journalists — a claim denied by Rabat.”

11. Video: SpyCamerasaurus: The Berning Robot SC Electronic 35mm Spy Camera

On January 8th the SpyCamerasaurus published a new video. As per its description, “this 35mm camera manufactured in the 1980s takes images 16x16mm in size on its own small diameter cassettes which allow 40 monochrome or 35 colour images to be taken (colour film being thicker than black and white, hence the different capacities). The camera has an interchangeable back, eliminating the need for rewinding film in camera. The camera uses a TTL metering system. The lens has a fixed f5.6 aperture, which allows shutter speeds to be set between 4 and 1/500 of a second. Manual settings are possible. Images can be shot at the rate of one frame every 1.5 seconds. The slowness of the motorised wind on minimises the noise of the camera operationally. Various shutter release mechanisms are known, both mechanical and electronic, including radio control. Mossad allegedly developed an infra-red pulse controlled shutter release. Purported to have been designed to the specifications of the Israeli intelligence service, the camera was intended for covert surveillance. Both its size being around the size of a cigarette packet and its silent operation make it very suitable. It was also certainly used by the East German STASI and other intelligence agencies. The size of the camera lends itself to use in a variety of concealments. Examples evidenced include Sony ‘Walkman’ cassette players, books and handbags. A high quality button frontage for the lens exists. This model comes with an adapted bag concealment, where the lens shoots through a decorative metal emblem on the side of the bag and the shutter is fired by a concealed button.”

12. Virginia Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Violate Iranian Sanctions

The US Department of Justice, in collaboration with FBI’s Counterintelligence Division (CD), announced on January 9th that “Behrouz Mokhtari, age 72, of McLean, Virginia and Tehran, Iran, a native of Iran and a naturalized citizen of the United States, pleaded guilty today to two conspiracies to violate sanctions imposed by the United States on Iran regarding the exportation, re-exportation, sale, or supply directly or indirectly, any goods, technology, or services to Iran. The guilty plea was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge Thomas J. Sobocinski of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office. According to his guilty plea, from at least March 2018 until at least September 2020, Mokhtari conspired with his co-defendant and others to evade Iranian sanctions by engaging in business activities on behalf of Iranian entities without first obtaining the required licenses from the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Mokhtari held management positions and/or maintained ownership control of multiple business in Iran and the United Arab Emirates (“UAE”), referred to collectively as “the FSR Network.” Mokhtari and his co-conspirators used the FSR Network to provide services to Iranian entities and engage in transactions involving Iranian petrochemical products, including refining petrochemical products and transporting them by sea. Mokhtari and his co-conspirators used bank accounts located in the UAE, including Bitubiz FZE, which was part of the FSR Network and over which Mokhtari exercised partial or complete control, to process these U.S. dollar transactions. Mokhtari admitted that Bitubiz operated as a conduit for the FSR Network to conceal the fact that Mokhtari and his co-conspirators were engaging in financial transactions with, and providing services to, Iranian entities. Bitubiz maintained daily ledgers which recorded the receipt and transfers of funds. After receiving an incoming wire transfer, Bitubiz would credit most of that amount to Ayegh Isfahan Manufacturing Company (“AIM”). Mokhtari and others held ownership interests in AIM, which was located in Iran, was engaged in the petrochemical industry, and was part of the FSR Network. As stated in his guilty plea, from about February 2013 until at least June 2017, Mokhtari and a number of Iranian nationals engaged in a conspiracy to conduct illicit shipments of petrochemical products to and from Iran, in violation of the Iranian sanctions and used the U.S. financial system to facilitate such shipments. In furtherance of the scheme, Mokhtari created a front company in Panama, East & West Shipping, Inc., to purchase two liquid petroleum gas (LPG) tanker vessels for approximately $38 million. These vessels were subsequently used to transport Iranian petrochemical products in international commerce on behalf of, and to benefit, Iranian entities associated with the Government of Iran.”

13. Ukrainian SBU Detained Russian FSB Agent in Cherkasy

On January 12th Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “detained a Russian agent who was spying on the positions of the Ukrainian Air Defence Forces in Cherkasy Oblast. The intruder turned out to be an employee of a medical institution, who was recruited by a representative of the Russian intelligence service at the beginning of the full-scale invasion. On the instructions of the aggressor, he purposefully traveled around the territory of the region and collected intelligence about the basing and movement of units of the Defence Forces. First of all, the enemy agent tried to identify the combat positions of the air defence system and the location of the training centres of the ground forces of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. He also gave the occupiers the coordinates of Ukrainian checkpoints and administrative buildings of law enforcement agencies on the territory of the regional centre. In addition, he “reported” to the FSB regarding the locations of local critical infrastructure facilities, including energy-generating enterprises. The enemy needed the intelligence to prepare a series of missile strikes on the region. Officers of the Security Service detained the attacker while trying to transfer classified information about Ukrainian sites to the aggressor. According to the investigation, the traitor transmitted intelligence to his Russian handler through an anonymous Telegram channel in the form of notes on digital maps and photographs. During the search of the detainee’s residence, law enforcement officers seized a mobile phone and a tablet with evidence of conspiratorial correspondence with the FSB. A passport of the former Soviet Union and pro-Kremlin symbols were also found in the suspect’s possession.”

14. Documentary: The Cat and Mouse Game of Cold War Espionage — CIA vs KGB

On January 13th the Real History published this new documentary with its description saying that “the Cold War began almost immediately after WW2. The USA and USSR would come face to face in their occupation of Berlin, but instead of using conventional weapons, they used spies. The intelligence operations of the two powers played a dangerous game of espionage, doing everything they can to gain the advantage over the other. This documentary meets some of the spies involved and looks at how this tense environment played out.”

15. Hungarian Intelligence Presses Ahead with Reforms in Midst of Upheavals

Intelligence Online reported on January 9th that “against the backdrop of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Budapest’s intelligence community, which is currently undergoing major reforms, is seeking a new balance as it struggles to attract new recruits and faces scrutiny from its NATO allies.”

16. Cyber Espionage Operation Targeting Android Users

Private cyber security and intelligence firm ESET published a technical analysis on January 10th for a new cyber espionage operation attributed to an actor dubbed as STRONGPITY. As per the article, it was a “campaign distributing a trojanized version of the Android Telegram app, presented as the Shagle app — a video-chat service that has no app version.” Note that previously the same actor has conducted cyber espionage operations targeting individuals in Syria and Turkey. As per the article, “this StrongPity backdoor has various spying features: its 11 dynamically triggered modules are responsible for recording phone calls, collecting SMS messages, lists of call logs, contact lists, and much more. These modules are being documented for the very first time. If the victim grants the malicious StrongPity app accessibility services, one of its modules will also have access to incoming notifications and will be able to exfiltrate communication from 17 apps such as Viber, Skype, Gmail, Messenger as well as Tinder.”

17. Voenkor Prokudin: SBU is Trying to Use Children and the Elderly to Spy on the Fighters of the Russian Armed Forces

According to the Russian RIA-FAN from January 14th, “the Ukrainian special services and, first of all, the SBU officers are trying to use children and the elderly to spy on the soldiers of the Russian army in the liberated territories. This was warned by military commander Philip Prokudin. Journalist Filipp Prokudin told URA.RU journalists that the Ukrainian intelligence services are trying to involve older people and minors in illegal activities. “They are collecting intelligence. Someone deliberately goes for it, someone is asked to go to the place to find out who is in the building,” said the military commander. Prokudin recalled that the residents of the Kherson and Zaporizhzhia regions had been subjected to active anti-Russian propaganda for many years, which explains the recruiting activity of the SBU.”

18. Podcast: Spycraft 101: Spies in the Space Race with Justin Black

On January 8th Spycraft 101 published a new podcast episode with its description saying that “in March 1983, a P-3 Orion reconnaissance plane from the Royal Australian Air Force captured photos of a previously unknown Soviet space plane prototype. A trawler was in caught in the act of recovering it at the time. In order to test the heat shield for their new design, Soviet engineers built a half-scale model of a reusable space plane. It was designated the BOR-4 and carried no crewmembers. It was launched into space and reached speeds up to Mach 24 before reentering the Earth’s atmosphere and splashing down in the Indian Ocean, where it was spotted by the RAAF. This was the western world’s first look at the BOR-4, and it probably turned a lot of heads in the intelligence community at the time. But the BOR-4 was never used for more than a test bed design with a few limited applications. The reusable space plane concept was similar in many ways to an earlier US program called the Dyna-Soar, which also never fully materialized as envisioned. This was just one of many instances where research, conquest, international politics, and espionage intersected during the Cold War and Space Race. For episode 58 of the Spycraft 101 podcast, I cover some of the highlights of the Space Race between the United States and the Soviet Union, which coincided with what might be called the golden age of espionage. From its origins in Nazi rocket science to plans for Soviet kamikaze sateliite destroyers targetting the American Space Shuttle.”

19. Kazakh Financial Intelligence Ups Pace of Asset Recovery Investigations

On January 13th Intelligence Online reported that “a year after the January 2022 protests, Kazakhstan’s economic and financial intelligence services are under pressure to either conclude or communicate the preliminary findings of their investigations on ill-gotten assets.”

20. United States: People’s Republic of China Citizen Indicted for Allegedly Stalking, Threatening Individual Promoting Democracy in China

The FBI’s Counterintelligence Division (CD) issued the following press statements in Chinese and English on January 10th. The English version says that “a Berklee College of Music student, who is citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with allegedly stalking and threatening an individual who posted fliers in support of democracy in China around the Berklee campus area. Xiaolei Wu, 25, was indicted today on one count of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmissions of threatening communication. Wu was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint with one count of stalking on Dec. 13, 2022. At the time of the events alleged in the Indictment, Wu was living in Boston while attending the Berklee College of Music. According to the charging documents, on Oct. 22, 2022, an individual posted a flier on or near the Berklee College of Music campus in Boston which said, “Stand with Chinese People,” as well as, “We Want Freedom,” and “We Want Democracy.” It is alleged that, beginning on or about Oct. 22, 2022, and continuing until Oct. 24, 2022, Wu made a series of communications via WeChat, email and Instagram directed towards the victim who posted the flier. Among other things, Wu allegedly said, “Post more, I will chop your bastard hands off.” He also allegedly told the victim that he had informed the public security agency in China about the victim’s actions and that the public security agency in China would “greet” the victim’s family. It is further alleged that Wu solicited others to find out where the victim was living and publicly posted the victim’s email address in the hopes that others would abuse the victim online. The charge of cyberstalking provides for a sentence up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of interstate transmissions of threatening communication provides for a sentence up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.”

21. France: Grandson of Charles de Gaulle, an Old CIA Nemesis, Condemns West’s Policy in Ukraine

The Covert Action Magazine published this article on January 11th saying that “Pierre de Gaulle, a grandson of former French President Charles de Gaulle, has said the U.S. is making Europeans suffer by fueling the Ukraine conflict and waging a pre-planned economic war against Russia. A corporate consultant and bank manager, Pierre told The Franco-Russian Dialogue Association on December 26: “I revolt and protest this intellectual dishonesty in the Ukraine crisis because the triggers of the war are the Americans and NATO. The United States unfortunately continues the military escalation, making not only the Ukrainian population suffer, but the European population as well.” Pierre continued: “The scale and the number of sanctions show that all of this was organized a long time in advance. It is an economic war, from which the Americans are the beneficiaries. The Americans sell their gas to Europeans for a price four to seven times higher than they do in their own country.” According to Pierre, “public opinion in France is beginning to understand what the evil game of the Americans is today. By using lies, . . .the United States has managed to use the Ukrainian crisis to destabilize Europe. The Americans, as it were, cut off Europe from Russia, set the Europeans against the Russians. Why would they do that? Because Europe in alliance with Russia could be a strong bloc both politically and economically, culturally and socially…Ever since the Vietnam War and the economic crises that followed, Americans have always tried by force, cunning and other dishonest means to make up for the loss of their economic and political influence, although it is inevitable. In particular, Americans are trying to slow down the dollar’s loss of its status as the only…world exchange currency. And this policy continues.”.”

22. United Kingdom: Tory Councillor Gave Details on Britain and NATO’s ‘Combat Alert Status’ to Communist Czech Spies During Cold War

The Daily Mail reported on January 13th that “a Tory councillor supplied information about Britain and Nato’s ‘combat alert status’ to Communist spies for cash during the Cold War. Dexter Smith, the Conservative group leader for Slough Council, supplemented his salary as a defence journalist in the Eighties by providing details about Nato nuclear planning summits, chemical weapons and the missile defence of Western Europe. He also used his access to Government and military officials to supply reports on British involvement in the American Star Wars nuclear defence plan, the modernisation of Nato’s command and control system and military equipment developments — which were used by enemy intelligence chiefs behind the Iron Curtain. Despite being opposed to Communism, he became ‘addicted’ to cash rewards for his information and eventually determined ‘to sell every word’, according to newly declassified Security Service archives in Prague. He also enjoyed being ‘entertained in style’ in high end restaurants by his handler and receiving gifts including cut glass in return for the ‘reports and information he provides,’ the files said. Mr Smith was said to be susceptible to flattery and also cooperated to ‘make himself feel good’ because he liked to ‘show off’ his ‘knowledge and expertise of military policy’. Codenamed Slough, after his home town, he passed on 24 reports during ‘clandestine’ meetings in London and near Windsor Castle. Mr Smith, who ‘fully understood’ who he was working for, was ‘very careful’ when handing over his reports and ‘looks around to make sure he is not being watched,’ according to the files. The information he supplied was classed as ‘non-public’ or ‘not easily available’ and was to a ‘large extent usable’ and utilised by intelligence agencies in Czechoslovakia. His paid cooperation only ended when his handler, Major Bedrich Kramar, an agent for the Czech Military Intelligence Agency who had the cover of air attache at its London embassy, was expelled from the UK for spying in September 1988.”

23. Documentary: An Investigation Into the Mossad’s Activities in Turkiye

Al Jazeera English published this documentary on January 11th. As per its description, “espionage, secret recordings, spy networks and Middle East political intrigue — inside the dark world of Israeli intelligence-gathering in Turkey. In October 2021, Turkish security services arrested 15 agents suspected of working for Israel’s spy agency Mossad operating in several cities. Then in December 2022, they arrested 44 more people for allegedly leaking information to Mossad. Tamer Almisshal of Al Jazeera Arabic goes to Istanbul to explore the back story of these arrests, how these agents were first identified and then allegedly recruited by Mossad — and how the Turkish authorities were tipped off and launched a months-long covert operation to track them down.”

24. Armenia: Artsakh Serviceman Arrested on Suspicion of Spying for Foreign Intelligence Agencies

On January 13th the ArmenPress stated that “a serviceman of the Defense Army of Artsakh (Nagorno Karabakh) has been arrested on suspicion of espionage, the National Security Service (NSS) of Artsakh said Friday. The suspect has been charged with treason and taken into custody after a court approved pre-trial remand. The Artsakh NSS said the suspect was recruited by foreign intelligence agencies in July 2021 and was being paid to collect and transfer classified military and state information. The suspect used various mobile applications to send the classified information such as “location of his duty station, specialization, number and type of his unit, the arsenal, composition of the command, combat outposts and active-duty data”. The NSS said it continues investigating the case.”

25. New Indian Cyber Espionage Operation Targeting Pakistan

On January 12th the RedDrip Team of the Qi An Xin technology discovered and disclosed technical indicators of a new cyber espionage operation attributed to an actor dubbed as BITTER, previously associated with the Indian government. The operation involved a lure file titled “Invitation for upcoming seminar on Industrial meet of Pakistan Industries with China.docx.chm” which, if opened, was covertly installing a custom cyber espionage software implant.

26. Ukrainian SBU Detained Russian GRU Agent in Dnipro

On January 10th Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) announced that they “detained a Russian agent who pointed missiles at the TPP in Dnipro and “hunted” for local anti-aircraft systems. The traitor turned out to be an agent of the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces (better known as the GRU). While working at a local pharmaceutical company, he was engaged in the supply of medicines, during which he collected intelligence on the units of the Armed Forces. First of all, the Russian agent tried to identify the combat positions of the air defence forces and the location of the headquarters of the operational command of the Ukrainian troops. The man also gave the aggressor the locations of local heating and energy supply facilities. It was established that an enemy agent “reported” to the employees of the Russian intelligence about the consequences of air attacks on these sites, in particular on the Prydniprovskaya TPP. SBU counter-intelligence officers detained an agent trying to collect intelligence about Ukrainian sites. The collected intelligence was transmitted to the occupiers through closed communication channels in the form of a photos with reference to the area and a detailed description. During searches of the detainee’s residence, law enforcement officers found mobile phones with evidence of correspondence with a representative of the Russian intelligence service.”

27. Spy Way of Life: Victor Pelevin, the Novelist on Russian Security Elites’ Bedside Tables

This week’s selection for Intelligence Online’s Spy Way of Life was “Russian novelist Victor Pelevin, author of numerous bestsellers published by Eksmo, has remained in the shadows since the late 1990s.” As per the article, “across the world, spies have their own inside jokes and references, which give them a shared sense of belonging. Those can in turn shape the public’s image of the intelligence world. In Russia, a writer shrouded in secrecy attracts the adoration — and occasionally the wrath — of the country’s intelligence community, which he portrays with his own particular brand of subtle audacity.”

28. Documentary: British Secret Service? The Spy John le Carré

The Criminals & Crime Fighters published a new documentary on January 8th. As per its description, “John le Carré, who originally was working for the British Secret Service, started his career as an author of spy novels in 1960. John le Carré is talking about his impressions that led him to create his famous spy novels. All the people and places he visits in his life play a role in his spy novels and inspire him. He wrote down many different spy novels. In our documentary you will learn everything about the life of a spy!”

29. New Cyber Actor Identified Targeting Governments and Militaries in the APAC Region

Bleeping Computer reported on January 11th that “attacks targeting government agencies and military bodies in multiple countries in the APAC region have been attributed to what appears to be a new advanced threat actor that leverages custom malware to steal confidential information. Security researchers refer to this group as Dark Pink (Group-IB) or Saaiwc Group (Anheng Hunting Labs), noting that it employs uncommon tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). The custom toolkit observed in the attacks can be used to steal information and spread malware via USB drives. The actor used DLL side-loading and event-triggered execution methods to run its payloads on compromised systems. A report published by cybersecurity company Group-IB says that the threat actor’s goal is to steal information from the victim’s browsers, gain access to messengers, exfiltrate documents, and capture audio from the infected device microphone. Considered an advanced persistent threat (APT), Dark Pink has launched at least seven successful attacks between June and December 2022.” The target countries identified were Vietnam, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Philippines.

30. Why EU Needs a US ‘Foreign Agents Registration Act’ Post-Qatargate

On January 10th EU Observer published this article saying that “the recent bribery scandal shaking the European Union has drawn attention to democracy’s soft underbelly. Far from simply being a reflection of individual greed and venality (the accused deny all allegations), it underscores that the basic infrastructure of liberal democracy in the EU is incomplete. In order to fix it, the EU should look to a surprising model — the United States. In the US, anyone acting on behalf of a foreign government is obliged not simply to disclose that fact but also its specifics — fees, services provided, officials approached for that purpose, employees working on the account, and so on. As a result, we know that Qatar has been paying Mercury Public Affairs, LLC, $30,000 per month [€28,000] for “research, advice, and engagement with relevant nongovernmental policy and academic institutions,” or that it is paying the same monthly amount to BGR Government Affairs, LLC, to “facilitate communications with relevant officials and decision makers and the media in the US, specifically in the state of Texas.” Another company is on a similar retainer with regards to Florida. Thanks to the Foreign Agents Registration Act, or FARA, we also know that former US attorney general John Ashcroft received $2.5 million for a 90-day retainer to highlight Qatar’s efforts to combat terrorism and comply with international financial regulations, and that Ashcroft committed himself to enlisting “former key government leaders, including former officials who held very senior positions within the intelligence community, the Federal Bureau of Investigation,” and other agencies to support the effort. Americans also know that tiny Qatar ranks fourth in terms of lobbying spend in Washington in 2016–22, after China, Japan, and South Korea. (Russia ranks sixth.) There is no suggestion that any of this is illegal, although some of it might be unethical — but thanks to FARA, Americans can form an idea of what Qatar is doing to influence policy-making.”

31. Russia: Security Services Tighten Grip on Moscow’s Higher School of Economics

On January 12th Intelligence Online reported that “the educational and research institution, reputed to be a bastion of independence since the 1990s, is coming under increased political control and the watchful eye of its vice-rector for security from the FSB.”

32. Podcast: Spycraft 101: Honey Traps: Seduction as Espionage with Henry Schlesinger

Spycraft 101 published a new podcast episode on January 11th with its description saying that “agents in training with the British Special Operations Executive during World War II were put to the test by Marie Christine Chilver, AKA Agent Fifi. Chilver was born in 1920 to a British father and Latvian mother in Riga, Latvia. At age 20, she was studying at the Sorbonne in Paris when France fell to German forces. Two years later, after being interned by the occupying troops, she escaped from a prison at Besançon along with a downed British pilot, who she helped nurse back to health. The pair successfully escaped back to England. She displayed such poise, grit, and courage in her escape that she was initially thought to be a possible German agent sent to England as an infiltrator. But in fact she was just a natural born clandestine operative. After a thorough background check she was recruited by SOE and volunteered for service in France, where so many brave female agents would go on to meet their demise during the war. Instead, she was chosen for a singular role unlike any other in the SOE: she would be their first “agente provacatrice”. Recruits undergoing a final 96-hour training exercise would be put in her path. Posing as a journalist named Christine Collard, her mission was to seduce them while also picking apart their operational cover. Men who were mentally and physically prepared for brutal interrogation by the Abwehr found themselves completely disarmed by Christine; time and again she learned everything about their mission in a matter of hours, through conversation at a bar or elsewhere. Her reports went straight to SOE’s leadership as a final evaluation of their agents’ skills. Christine’s story is just one example of how seduction and sex can be used to great effect in intelligence collection. Honey traps, ravens, and blackmail schemes have been essential tools in the spy trade since the dawn of civilization. For episode 59 of the Spycraft 101 podcast I spoke with Henry Schlesinger, author of Honey Trapped: Sex, Betrayal, and Weaponized Love. We discussed many of the strategies, scandals, and significant people who have used — or been used by — these tools in espionage.”

33. Meta Sues ‘Surveillance Service’ for Creating Fake Accounts and Scraping User Data

As reported by The Record on January 13th, “Meta has filed a legal action against a surveillance service which it accused of creating fake accounts on Instagram and Facebook for the purpose of scraping user data. Voyager Labs “improperly collected data from Facebook, Instagram and other websites,” the social media giant alleged on Thursday. The company “developed and used proprietary software to launch scraping campaigns” that targeted users Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Telegram in addition to Meta’s own services, the social media giant said. Voyager Labs’ software used fake accounts to ingest the kinds of data that are normally available to human users of the platforms, but on an automated scale. A “diverse system of computers and networks in different countries” were employed to conceal this scraping activity. Meta warned in a report last December that the spyware and surveillance-for-hire industry is “indiscriminately” targeting journalists, activists and political opposition, and growing on a global scale. It classes them as specialized reconnaissance services contributing to “part of a sprawling industry that provides intrusive software tools and surveillance services indiscriminately to any customer — regardless of who they target or the human rights abuses they might enable.” These companies often market themselves as “web intelligence services,” said Meta’s report in December, which came as the social media giant publicly attributed this reconnaissance activity to several organizations based in New York, Israel, and China.”

34. Ukrainian SBU on “Abandoned” Russian FSB Agent in Krasnoyarsk Krai

On January 11th Ukraine’s SBU issued this press statement saying that “the SBU “split” a Russian agent who was abandoned by the FSB for sabotage in western Ukraine: he “turned in” his supervisor. He turned out to be a staff member of the Russian FSB in Krasnoyarsk Krai. This spy collected intelligence about the deployment and movement of military equipment and personnel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the National Guard, in particular, the separate special purpose regiment “Azov”. He also “hunted” for data on current and former employees of the SBU, its full-time and part-time employees and agents. In addition, he explored the peculiarities of the forms and methods of work of the Ukrainian intelligence service. The enemy officer recruited citizens of Ukraine mainly on social networks. The investigation established that in 2017, the perpetrator recruited a Kyivan and after several tasks “canned” him until 2022. After the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the agent received a task from the FSB to arrive in the Chernivtsi region. There, he tried to identify transport channels for the supply of weapons to Ukraine and the location of fuel tanks. Intelligence was needed by the occupiers to prepare a series of explosions at railway facilities and logistics warehouses. However, counterintelligence officers of the Security Service prevented this and, as a result of a multi-stage special operation, detained an enemy saboteur in Chernivtsi. Currently, the traitor, a citizen of Ukraine, has already been sentenced to 16 years behind bars. In the course of investigative operative work, he “surrendered” his supervisor from the FSB.”

35. Wiretapping Scandal: Greece Heading Towards Autocracy

EUractiv reported on January 11th that “the way the Greek authorities are handling the unfolding wiretapping scandal is alarming and indicates that the country is “already on an advanced path towards an autocratic state”, an influential Austrian EU lawmaker from the Socialist and Democrats told EURACTIV. “I have pointed out several times that the way the Greek government and Prime Minister Mitsotakis deal with ‘Predatorgate’ will show whether Greece is heading towards autocracy,” Hannes Heide said. He is the S&D coordinator in the European Parliament’s PEGA committee that is looking into the matter. “The way the Greek authorities are handling the clarification of the matter is an alarm signal that the country is already on an advanced path towards an autocratic state,” he warned on Wednesday (11 January). In the so-called “Greek Watergate” scandal, several politicians, journalists and businessmen have been surveilled by Greek secret services, which are under the control of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (EPP) and his conservative cabinet. The scandal, which has resonated across Europe and in the European Parliament, is seen as an open wound for the country, particularly ahead of the upcoming general elections expected in spring. Mitsotakis has so far tried to keep his distance, saying he was unaware of the wiretapping cases, although the first law he enacted as prime minister in 2019 was to place secret services under his remit. Earlier on Wednesday, EURACTIV reported that the Greek chief prosecutor Isidoros Ntogiakos had issued an opinion stating that the country’s privacy watchdog — the Hellenic Authority for Communication Security and Privacy (ADAE) — cannot conduct audits on telecommunication companies to find out which citizens are under surveillance. And if the watchdog still choose to do so, it would risk criminal penalties, according to Ntogiakos.”

36. The Martyrs of Nomain: A Tale of Pigeons and Spycraft During the Great War

On January 11th Pigeons of War published this article saying that “for all practical purposes, the Great War began when Germany invaded Belgium on August 4th, 1914. Despite the valiant efforts of the Belgian Army, it was an unfair fight and the small country was quickly overrun. For the duration of the war, German military authorities occupied nearly the entire territory. This is common knowledge, yet many popular histories of the conflict neglect the German occupation of northeast France during this period. Indeed, by November, Germany had gained a foothold in ten French departments, the most populous of which was the Nord Department. This week, we take a look at four brave residents of the Nord who were executed for engaging in clandestine pigeon networks.” As per DW’s report, “Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib said in a statement posted on Twitter on Tuesday that Iran never communicated any official information regarding Vandecasteele’s charges or trial. “Belgium continues to condemn this arbitrary detention and is doing everything possible to put an end to it and to improve the conditions of his detention,” she said.”

37. Iran Executes British-Iranian Dual National for Spying

On January 14th Yahoo! News reported that “Iran said Saturday it executed British-Iranian dual national Alireza Akbari after he was sentenced to death for spying for the United Kingdom, drawing sharp condemnation from the British government. Akbari, 61, was hanged after being convicted of “corruption on earth and harming the country’s internal and external security by passing on intelligence”, the judiciary’s Mizan Online website said. It did not say when or where the execution took place. Mizan Online said Akbari, who had been arrested more than two years ago, had been a spy for Britain’s MI6 secret intelligence agency and had received around $2 million for his services. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “appalled” by the execution. “This was a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people,” Sunak tweeted, adding his thoughts were with “Alireza’s friends and family”. UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly warned on Twitter that his execution “will not stand unchallenged”, without elaborating. Akbari was hanged only hours after the United States had joined its ally Britain in calling for Iran not to go ahead with the execution.” Iranian intelligence published two press statements (first and second) stating that “according to Iranian judiciary’s Mizan News Agency, Akbari who had dual nationalities of Iranian and British was sentenced to death due to acting against national security and spying for the MI6 in exchange for receiving 1.805 million euros, 265k British pounds, and 50k US dollars. He had a long-term connection with intelligence officers in Iran and other countries. Akbari started his so-called research and trade activities in the framework of a private company following retirement in 2002. He cooperated with research institutes in London, assisting the institutes to collect information, while their directors were intelligence officers. The spy met with an MI6 officer nicknamed Mark in Austria. He also held talks with Richard Dalton, the former British ambassador to Iran. During his meetings with MI6 officers, he provided them with data on 178 Iranian figures, including some nuclear scientists, such as Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was assassinated near Tehran on November 27, 2020, by Israeli terrorists. Iran’s Supreme Court upheld the verdict of the death penalty for the spy based on substantiated evidence.”

38. Stealien Supplies its Cyber Products to the South Korean Intelligence Services

Intelligence Online reported on January 11th that “South Korea, which is already well established in the geospatial intelligence (GEOINT) industry, is developing its cyber intelligence capacities with help from local contractor Stealien.”

39. Video: Abandoned Top Secret U.S. Spy Planes at Auction

JR Aviation published this video with its description saying that “today we try to buy abandoned US Government Spy Planes cheap at auction. These King Air 350s have been sitting for years. They cost $60 Million brand new and were modified with advanced cameras, avionics, radars, and surveillance tools to spy on the enemy. Can they be saved? These planes are still worth millions in nice condition, and these are available for just a small fraction of that. Will these engines start up and run after many years? Enjoy this video as I explore these unique aircraft that played a key role in the US overseas military agenda. This is a very similar opporotunity to the cheap $100,000 Gulfstream GIII the other month.”

40. Declassified: CIA Missing In Action — People and Policies 1948-
1973, Volumes I and II

On January 9th Government Attic shared new CIA declassified files they acquired. It’s a total of 495 pages of the “Missing in Action — People and Policies: 1948–1973” volumes I and II. Those are from December 1974, authored by James J. White of the CIA History Staff and DDA.

41. Russian SVR Uncovers Memorial Plaque to Outstanding Spies in Moscow

The Russian Foreign Intelligence Service (SVR) issued a press release on January 11th saying that “a memorial plaque to outstanding Soviet illegal intelligence officers, immigrants from the United States, heroes of Russia spouses Leontina and Morris Cohen was opened in Moscow, RIA Novosti correspondent reports. The solemn ceremony took place at the initiative of the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation and the Russian Historical Society and was timed to coincide with the 110th anniversary of the birth of Leontina Cohen, which is being celebrated on Wednesday. The memorial plaque was unveiled in the center of Moscow, on the house on Bolshaya Bronnaya Street, where the Cohens lived. Its author was Andrey Kovalchuk, a sculptor, People’s Artist of Russia, three times winner of the SVR award in the field of literature and art. Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service Sergey Naryshkin removed the cover from the memorial plaque, the national anthem of Russia was played. In intelligence there is an expression “family residency” — this is how they say about a married couple of illegal intelligence officers working together, leading an invisible battle, ensuring the interests and security of Russia, Naryshkin noted. “The married couple of Morris and Leontina Coenov was such a legendary family residency,” the director of the Foreign Intelligence Service emphasised. The Cohens worked in different countries, but they achieved outstanding results by working as part of illegal residencies in the US and the UK, Naryshkin added.” The article concludes that “a bronze bas-relief depicting the Coen spouses is placed on the monument to domestic intelligence officers of all times on the territory of the SVR headquarters. The house at Bolshaya Bronnaya Street, 2/6, where the Cohens lived, is unofficially called the “golden crossroads”: many figures of culture, science and technology lived in it — actors Yuri Nikulin and Rostislav Plyatt, theatre directors Valentin Pluchek and Andrey Goncharov, pianist Svyatoslav Richter, hydraulic engineer, twice Hero of Socialist Labor Alexander Alexandrov and others.”

42. Listen to Barack Obama’s Chilling Description of U.S. Involvement in the Gigantic 1965 Indonesia Massacre

The Intercept published this story on January 13th saying that “Joko Widodo, the president of Indonesia, expressed regret on Wednesday about 12 instances of “gross human rights violations” over the past decades of the nation’s history — including an extraordinary U.S.-backed bloodbath carried out by the Indonesian military following a coup in 1965. The carnage targeted the Indonesian Communist Party — known as Partai Komunis Indonesia, or PKI — as well as their family members, purported sympathizers, or people who stood next to a member of the PKI at a bus stop once. (It was not an exact science.) At least 500,000 Indonesians were killed, often up close with machetes or knives. Soon afterward the Central Intelligence Agency, which played a key role in supporting the massacre, called it “one of the worst mass murders of the 20th century.” Remarkably, Barack Obama used similar language in a passage in his 1995 autobiography “Dreams From My Father,” referring to the killings as “one of the more brutal and swift campaigns of suppression in modern times.” Yet this section of the book has received almost no notice. A Google search finds references to that sentence from Boston public radio station WBUR; the student newspaper at Northwestern; the New York Review of Books; my dormant blog; and little else.”

43. Sweden’s Islamist Party Leader Claims Muslims Profiled by Intelligence, Rights Violated

Nordic Monitor reported on January 12th that “the leader of Sweden’s Islamist Nuance Party (Partiet Nyans, or PNy) claimed Muslims in the Nordic region’s most populous country are under pressure by intelligence services and that the authorities want to strip Muslims of their rights and freedoms, effectively parroting similar talking points made by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan about Muslims in Europe. Mikail Yüksel, a Swedish politician of Turkish origin who was accused of acting on behalf of the Erdoğan regime, said schools established by Muslims were shut down after they were profiled by Swedish intelligence services. He also said Sweden is not a country that values rights, liberties or freedoms. “Today, in Sweden, unfortunately, the government wants to take away the freedoms and rights of Muslims. For example, the headscarf ban, the circumcision issue. Muslim-owned schools are closed due to the operations of intelligence agencies,” Yüksel said on a TV program moderated by Mücahit Küçükyılmaz, a chief advisor of the Turkish president. “Sweden may seem like a country that is pro-freedom from the outside, but I think it would be good to be aware of the oppression of immigrants, especially Muslims,” Yüksel added. Asked by Erdoğan’s advisor where Turks in Sweden stand on Turkey blocking approval of NATO membership for the Nordic country, Yüksel claimed some 90 to 95 percent of Turks side with the Erdoğan government in the row.”

44. Ukrainian President Thanks GUR Spies for their Courage

As reported by the Ukrainian military intelligence (GUR) on January 14th, “in his address to the people of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy noted that the tough battle for Donetsk region continues, the battle for Bakhmut and Soledar, for Kreminna, and for other towns and villages in the east of our country continues. Although the enemy has concentrated its greatest forces in this direction, our soldiers — the Armed Forces of Ukraine, all defence and security forces — protect the state. “I thank the fighters of the “Kraken” unit for their decisive actions to destroy the enemy in the Soledar area! Thank you to the soldiers of the International Legion of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the “Shaman” unit, who bravely defend Bakhmut!” — said Volodymyr Zelenskyi. Also, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces of Ukraine noted that in 324 days of full-scale war, everything has changed for Russia. This is a clear signal of failure for the enemy. And this is another incentive for all of us to put more pressure on the occupier and to inflict greater losses on the enemy.”

45. Former CIA Officer Jason Hanson Publishes New Videos

This week former United States CIA officer Jason Hanson published the following videos: 1) I Almost Had to Draw My Gun This Week, 2) Ten Goals I Want to Accomplish in 2023, and 3) Here’s Why You Need To Walk 10,000 Steps Each Day.

46. French Dassault Mired in Japanese Surveillance Plane Conflict

Intelligence Online reported on January 9th that “Japan is preparing its rearmament and starting to prospect for materiel to defend itself from China but Dassault’s chances of landing new contracts are not looking good.”

47. United States Navy’s Task Force 59 to Keep Tabs on Iran with Armada of Drones

The Warzone published this article on January 12th saying that “the U.S. Naval Forces Central Command’s Task Force 59 began as an idea in a two-page white paper published 17 months ago, The War Zone learned in an interview with Commander Timothy Hawkins, force public affairs officer for U.S. 5th Fleet located in Bahrain. The command recognized the vast and dynamic nature of the Middle East’s maritime environment, and with that, the ways unmanned systems and artificial intelligence-enabled tech could be leveraged to more persistently monitor the tumultuous region. Then, in September 2021, Naval Forces Central Command officially stood up Task Force 59 to do just that. Also based in Bahrain, which is situated on the Persian Gulf, Task Force 59 is the first Navy unit of its kind. This has made it so officials are treating its establishment as a clear investment in the future of unmanned and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities, like unmanned surface vessels (USV) and unmanned underwater vehicles (UUV).”

48. United States: Biden Used Classified Documents Accusation Against Carter CIA Nominee

According to this Intercept article from January 13th, “President Joe Biden and his supporters have sought to downplay the significance of the improperly handled and stored classified documents discovered at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement, a think tank where Biden maintained an office. The documents are believed to relate to his time as vice president under Barack Obama. But then it emerged that another batch of classified documents was recovered from Biden’s personal garage at his home in Delaware. Attorney General Merrick Garland has appointed a special counsel to investigate the matter. Former President Donald Trump and his supporters have defended his transfer of classified materials to his resort at Mar-a-Lago, claiming that the president had authority to declassify the materials. That case is also the subject of a federal investigation. It is a barely concealed secret in Washington, D.C., that for decades, elite politicians have engaged in some form of bending or breaking the rules on classified documents — in some cases for plausibly benign uses as writing memoirs. Bill Clinton’s former national security adviser Sandy Berger stole documents from the National Archives in 2003 by stuffing them inside his clothing and then destroyed some classified materials. He claimed he wanted to review the documents to prepare for his testimony before the 9/11 Commission. Gen. David Petraeus was forced to resign as CIA director in 2012 after it was revealed he had improperly handled classified materials, including taking some to his home and sharing them with his biographer with whom he was having an affair.”

49. Ukrainian SBU Detained Russian FSB Agent in Kyiv Region

On January 12th Ukraine’s SBU announced that they “detained a Russian agent who was spying on the location of the armed forces of the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the Kyiv region. The attacker turned out to be a resident of Bila Tserkva, who was recruited by an officer of the Russian intelligence service in December last year. After giving written consent to cooperate with the enemy, his accomplice received the operational nickname “Shadow” (Тень) and the task of conducting reconnaissance and subversive activities against Ukraine. On the instructions of the FSB, he traveled around the area and covertly collected intelligence about the locations and movements of units of the Defence Forces in the region. First of all, the Russian agent tried to identify the command headquarters and warehouses with artillery weapons of the Armed Forces. In addition, he gave the aggressor the coordinates of local critical infrastructure facilities, including energy-generating enterprises. Intelligence was needed by the occupiers to prepare a series of targeted missile strikes on the region. Counter-intelligence officers of the SBU detained an enemy agent trying to collect classified information about Ukrainian military bases. According to the investigation, the traitor maintained communication with the FSB through a previously developed anonymous Telegram channel. It was there that he dumped the collected information in the form of photo and video materials linked to the area. It was established that in the future, the attacker had to create an extensive network of agents for greater “coverage” of the region in terms of gathering intelligence for the benefit of the FSB. During searches of the detainee’s residential address, law enforcement officers seized mobile phones with evidence of conspiratorial correspondence with the aggressor. A Russian passport and pro-Kremlin symbols were also found in the suspect’s possession.”

50. Turkish Police Developed a Mobile Application Exclusive to a Chinese Company for ID Reporting

According to this article by Nordic Monitor from January 11th, “hotels, motels and guesthouses in Turkey are required to send their daily guest records to the police or gendarmerie via the ID Reporting System (Kimlik Bildirim Sistemi), a database administered by the police. Hotel staff enter guests’ information into the database through the system’s website or applications downloaded to mobile phones. The Turkish police developed a special application for Chinese tech giant Huawei since Android-based Huawei users became unable to download the application from Google Play after Google unilaterally ended its cooperation with Huawei in 2019.”

51. Fortinet Warns of Cyber Espionage Operation Targeting Governments Through VPN Vulnerability

On January 13th The Record reported that “Fortinet published an advisory this week warning that a critical vulnerability is being exploited by an “advanced actor” to target government networks. Fortinet published an advisory about the bug — CVE-2022–42475 — and it quickly garnered widespread attention due to its 9.8 CVSS score, ease of use and the large number of FortiOS versions affected. French security firm Olympe was the first to spot the bug in the wild and Fortinet patched the issue just three days later. Cybersecurity researcher Kevin Beaumont said the bug was being used by ransomware groups. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) published its own advisory about the issue on December 12 urging administrators to look through Fortinet’s advisory.”

52. Germany: How Secure is the BND?

Following 2022 week 51 story #31, 2022 week 52 story #4 and last week’s stories #32 and #40, Tagesschau published this article on January 12th stating that “the position in which Carsten L. sat is highly sensitive. His department in the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Technical Reconnaissance, monitors telephone calls, radio signals and internet communications worldwide. The war in Ukraine, the crises in the Middle East and Africa, the Iranian nuclear program — what L. and his team listen to and read is often explosive. About half of the daily BND reports come from his department. The findings are considered the crown jewels of the service. It is such information that Carsten L. is said to have disclosed to a Russian intelligence service. The Federal Public Prosecutor therefore accuses the BND man of treason and had him arrested shortly before Christmas. While the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is now investigating the course of the alleged treason, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) is dealing with the equally important questions: How did it come to this? Was there any earlier evidence of a “mole”? And how can the country’s secrets be better protected?” Tagesschau also published this article on January 13th stating that “the suspected betrayal of the Federal Intelligence Service could be more serious than previously known: Carsten L., of all people, was apparently supposed to check employees. The employee of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND), who was arrested on suspicion of espionage, was apparently about to work in a very security-related post. According to information from WDR, NDR and “Süddeutsche Zeitung” (SZ), the man, who is said to have spied for a Russian intelligence service, was most recently transferred to the BND area responsible for security checks on employees.”

53. Ministry of State Security of LPR Opened Case Agastin OSCE Employee for Espionage

Based on this report from January 13th on Russia Today (RT), “according to the Ministry of State Security, British national David Orrell, on assignment from foreign intelligence service of one of NATO country, collected and transmitted intelligence as part of the OSCE mission. The data concerned military equipment and weapons of the People’s Militia of the LPR, as well as civilian infrastructure facilities. In July, LPR Foreign Minister Vladislav Deinego said that the OSCE Special Monitoring Mission (SMM) had been successfully simulating assistance to a settlement in Donbass for eight years, but in fact was conducting propaganda in support of Kiev.”

54. North Korean Spy Ring Uncovered in South Korea

On January 12th The Straits Times reported that “the counter-espionage authorities are said to be investigating an officer of a progressive party and two others on Jeju Island in relation to suspicions they have been spying for North Korea. It is the Yoon Suk Yeol administration’s first known investigation of a spy ring acting for Pyongyang. The authorities are also said to have captured indications of similar underground organisations in three other cities — Changwon and Jinju in South Gyeongsang Province and Jeonju in North Jeolla Province. They assume there are more underground groups. The National Intelligence Service and the police have tracked the Jeju spy ring for more than five years. The authorities raided the party and a farmers group in Jeju on two occasions late last year. According to the search warrants that media revealed, the party officer met secretly a North Korean agent at Angkor Wat, Cambodia, in July 2017, received education in a Cambodian hideout for three days about how to form an underground group and transmit and decipher coded messages. Back in Jeju, the party officer won over two persons — a senior member of a labor group and a farmer-activist — and formed an underground group. The warrants say they received instructions from North Korea until November last year to condemn President Yoon, struggle against conservative politicians, demand the suspension of US-Korea combined military exercises, and oppose the introduction of advanced US weapons to South Korea. They reported to Pyongyang that they had actually carried out some of the instructions. This case is similar in method of operation to that of the North Chungcheong Comrade Party for Independent Unification uncovered in August 2021. At that time, the authorities arrested three “comrades.””

55. Russian SVR Congratulates Rossiyskaya Gazeta writer N. M. Dolgopolov

With a formal statement, the Russian SVR stated on January 12th that “the Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Russia S. E. Naryshkin congratulated the deputy editor-in-chief of Rossiyskaya Gazeta, writer N. M. Dolgopolov with the fact that he became the laureate of the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of media for 2022.” The messages says: “Please accept my sincere congratulations on the occasion of presenting you with a high award today — the Prize of the Government of the Russian Federation in the field of media for 2022. I am pleased to note that for more than 30 years the theme of intelligence has been central to your work. The books that came out from under your pen, active participation in the creation of feature films and documentaries, brilliant comments on the TV screen were highly appreciated in intelligence. You are one of the few authors who has been awarded the prestigious E. M. Primakov. From the bottom of my heart I wish you further creative success, high circulations and constant audience sympathy, as well as inspiration in creating new works in which you so masterfully create heroic images of domestic intelligence officers!”

56. Turkish Intelligence Eliminates Top Terrorist in Syria

The Daily Sabah reported on January 9th that “Özgür Namoğlu, a wanted terrorist on Türkiye’s hit list, was eliminated in Syria by the National Intelligence Organization (MIT), reported media outlets on Monday. Namoğlu, also known as “Fırat Neval,” was in charge of “sabotage operations” of the Marxist-Leninist Communist Party (MLKP) and was killed in Syria’s al-Hasakah region. He was specially trained by the PKK, another terrorist organization with which MLKP maintains close ties, in Iraq. Media reports said Namoğlu emerged as a top member of the group in 2008 in Europe before traveling to Iraq’s north for training for assassination and sabotage missions on behalf of the terrorist group. He traveled to Syria in 2016 and was in charge of a facility training MLKP terrorists to be dispatched to Türkiye to carry out terrorist attacks.”

57. NATO Spy Planes Heading to Romania to Monitor Russian Activity

The DefenseNews reported on January 13th that “NATO said Friday it plans to deploy three surveillance planes to Romania next week to perform reconnaissance missions and to “monitor Russian military activity “ within the 30-nation military alliance’s territory. The airborne warning and control system surveillance planes, or AWACS, belong to a fleet of 14 usually based in Germany. Three of the aircraft will be sent Tuesday to an air base near Romania’s capital, Bucharest, on a mission expected to last several weeks, the 30-nation alliance said in a statement. The planes “can detect aircraft hundreds of kilometers away, making them a key capability for NATO’s deterrence and defense posture,” NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said in a statement. Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February, NATO has bolstered its presence on Europe’s eastern front, including by sending additional battlegroups to Romania, Bulgaria and Slovakia. AWACS have conducted “regular patrols over eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea region to track Russian warplanes near NATO borders” throughout the Russia-Ukraine war, the statement said. The NATO planes, Boeing E-3s, were jointly purchased at a cost of almost $8 billion in 1977 at the height of the Cold War, when Jimmy Carter became U.S. president and as a missile crisis with the Soviet Union was beginning to fester in Europe.”

58. Podcast: Former Indian R&AW Chief AS Dulat on PM Modi, NSA Ajit Doval, Kashmir, Sex Scandals, and More

On January 11th The Quint published this interview/podcast. As per its description, “former R&AW Chief AS Dulat in conversation with Nishtha Gautam. This no holds barred interview has it all — from Kashmir to Pakistan, PM Atal Behari Vajpayee to PM Narendra Modi, and NSA Ajit Doval to sex scandals.”

59. CIA Chief in Libya After Lockerbie Suspect Handover

On January 12th Al-Arabiya reported that “CIA chief William Burns has met Libya’s interim premier weeks after the authorities handed the United States a suspect in the 1988 Lockerbie bombing, the Tripoli-based government said Thursday. The meeting in Tripoli, also reported by Libyan media, was part of the first visit by a CIA director to the North African country since the 2012 attack against a US mission in Benghazi that killed the US ambassador and three others. “Prime Minister Abdelhamid Dbeibeh hosted the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, William Burns” at the cabinet office in Tripoli, along with Foreign Minister Najla al-Mangoush and Libyan intelligence chief Hussein al-Ayeb, Dbeibah’s government said in a Facebook post. Burns “underlined the need to develop economic and security cooperation between the two countries,” it said. Last month, a Libyan man accused of making the bomb that destroyed a Pan Am flight over Scotland in 1988 appeared in a US court, after being extradited by Dbeibah’s government. The move sparked a public backlash against the Tripoli-based government, which is challenged by a rival government in the war-torn country’s east. Alleged former intelligence agent Abu Agila Mohammad Masud Kheir al-Marimi could face life in prison if convicted of “destruction of an aircraft resulting in death” and two other related charges over the attack, which killed 270 people and was the deadliest-ever terror operation in Britain.”

60. Volunteers Who Helped Migrants Reach Greece and Were Put On Trial in Lesbos Cleared of Espionage Charges

BBC reported on January 12th that “a Greek court hearing the case of 24 activists who helped migrants reach Greek shores during the height of the migration crisis of 2016–2018 has cleared the defendants of one of the four charges against them — espionage. Reading this decision to the audience, at the same time the court acknowledged a lot of procedural violations committed during the proceedings — in particular, a very superficial translation of documents submitted by the prosecution, and, in general, the insufficient availability of interpreters for the defendants who do not speak Greek. However, the remaining charges — fraud, money laundering, people smuggling and illegal use of radio frequencies — remain in effect, and the trial on the island of Lesbos continues, despite a flurry of criticism from international human rights organisations, outrage from MEPs and even UN intervention. Literally a few hours before the meeting on Friday, the UN called on the Greek authorities to drop all the charges against the defendants and end the scandalous proceedings that have been dragging on since November of the year before last, 2021. Earlier, MEPs made a similar statement, calling the trial of volunteers who saved migrants “the largest precedent for criminal prosecution of manifestations of solidarity in Europe.” Of the 24 people in the dock, 17 are foreign citizens. Among them is Syrian refugee Sarah Mardini, whose sister Yusra was part of the refugee team that took part in the Olympic swimming competitions in Rio de Janeiro in 2016.”

61. United States: Pentagon Now Requires Spy Satellite Launchers to Have the Ability to Defend Against Chinese Attacks

The Maine Wire reported on January 10th that “the Department of Defense (DOD) is now prioritizing space companies’ ability to defend rockets launching spy satellites into space against Chinese or Russian interference, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with upcoming Pentagon guidance. While DOD previously judged contract bids on the basis of resiliency and cost, growing tensions with two major powers and access to advanced satellite-destroying technology has spurred a change in the Pentagon’s strategy to protect sensitive military equipment, according to the WSJ. The new requirements will feature in the third phase of the Space Force’s national security satellite launch program, which is expected to be announced in February. At least three rocket companies will likely compete for the next round of contracts for defense-related satellite launches, budgeted at $1.2 billion for fiscal year 2023, the WSJ reported, citing people familiar with the matter. United Launch Alliance, a joint venture of Boeing and Lockheed Martin, as well as Elon Musk’s SpaceX are likely to vie for Pentagon contracts. As part of the contracts, the companies will now have to prove that they can fend off Russian or Chinese interference, whether via antisatellite missiles or other electronic means of disrupting launches.”

62. Austrian DSN Classifies Russia as Main Actor of Espionage in the Country

As stated by UkrInform on January 10th, “the Austrian State Security and Intelligence Directorate (DSN) said that the Russian Federation is among the “main actors of espionage” against Austria. This is stated in the DSN report for 2021, UkrInform reports. The Austrian secret service emphasised that for a long time in Austria, Russian intelligence services have been operating with “constantly high intensity” in “various target areas.” Other “main subjects of espionage and influence directed against Austria” in the Office of State Security and Intelligence included China, Iran and Turkey. In addition, DSN reported that Austria’s critical infrastructure and constitutional institutions faced a variety of threats in cyberspace in 2021. Cyber ​​actors linked to the Russian Federation and China are particularly active in Austria, according to the report, “however, Iran is also increasingly using cyber espionage.”.”

63. Turkey: Jihadist Foundation Run by Erdoğan Family Trains Diplomats for the Turkish Foreign Ministry

As per this article of the Nordic Monitor from January 10th, “the Turkey Youth Foundation (TÜGVA), run by the family of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and funded by the Turkish government, instructs young graduates and university students who intend to work at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in a training program called the “Young Diplomat Academy.” According to TÜGVA’s website, the Young Diplomat Academy is a series of seminars and activities for undergraduate or postgraduate students who are between the ages of 18 and 28. Candidates who are interested in politics and diplomacy and aiming to specialize in these subjects and have a career in these fields are welcome. Those who seek to participate in the program go through an online interview and must be affiliated with TÜGVA.” The article also states that “in 2021 a leaked TÜGVA internal memo revealed the foundation’s clandestine intelligence-gathering plans in close coordination with Turkey’s spy agency, the National Intelligence Organization (Milli İstihbarat Teşkilatı, MIT). The three-page memo, obtained by Nordic Monitor, contains recommendations issued by the foundation led by the president’s son Bilal Erdoğan. It lists not only policy actions but also practical work the foundation and associated entities must take to help support Erdoğan’s oppressive government. The proposals include intelligence gathering and surveillance in foreign countries by TÜGVA and aligned associations that work under the cover of nongovernmental organizations.”

64. United States: NSA Director Pushes Congress to Renew Surveillance Powers

The Associated Press reported on January 12th that “a top U.S. intelligence official on Thursday urged Congress to renew sweeping powers granted to American spy agencies to surveil and examine communications, saying they were critical to stopping terrorism, cyberattacks and other threats. The remarks by Army Gen. Paul Nakasone, director of the National Security Agency, opened what’s expected to be a contentious debate over provisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act that expire at year’s end. The bipartisan consensus in favor of expanded surveillance powers in the years after Sept. 11 has given way to increased skepticism, especially among some Republicans who believe spy agencies used those powers to undermine former President Donald Trump. The new GOP majority in the U.S. House has already formed a panel on the “weaponization of the federal government.” And progressive Democrats have pushed for more curbs on warrantless surveillance. The NSA and other spy agencies use authorities under FISA’s Section 702 to collect huge swaths of foreign communications, which also results in the incidental collection of emails and calls from Americans. The law prohibits spy agencies from targeting Americans and requires the FBI to seek a court order to access a U.S. citizen’s communications.” According to this article by The Record for the same subject, “NSA Director Gen. Paul Nakasone said Thursday that the special targeted internet surveillance program for non-U.S. citizens known as Section 702 has played an “irreplaceable” role in helping the agency fend off ransomware attacks and prevent weapons components from reaching adversaries, as well as being used to identify threats to U.S. troops.” The NSA also published a press release for this titled: “Keynote Speech by GEN Paul M. Nakasone at the Privacy and Civil Liberties Oversight Board Public Forum on FISA Section 702”

65. Swedish Intelligence: The Global Situation Affects Sweden’s Internal Security

On January 10th the Security Service of Sweden (SÄPO) stated that “Russia poses a serious threat to Sweden’s security. Russian intelligence activities and other security-threatening activities against Sweden can be expected to increase. At the same time, developments in the outside world contribute to a wider constitutional threat.” The announcement also said that “the Security Service has identified three sectors where there is reason to be particularly vigilant to counter espionage and sabotage. The sectors are energy supply, telecom and transport of critical supplies. These are sectors where attacks against Sweden could cause damage to the rest of Europe as well. The Security Services sees a development where Russia is expected to a greater extent than before to use non-official platforms such as the Russian diaspora, institutions and companies in Sweden, as well as cyber attacks for the acquisition of information. It can also be about other security-threatening activities such as sabotage, disinformation or the regime’s use of violent extremists to destabilise Swedish society. The deteriorating security situation leads to a wider constitutional threat. The Security Service sees an increased spread of conspiracy theories and anti-state messages, which in the long run risk undermining trust in society’s institutions, politicians’ decision-making and the state’s legitimacy.”

66. United States: Private Military Contractors Thrust into Heart of Ukraine Conflict Information War

Intelligence Online reported on January 13th that “reeling from a dispute raging between its leaders, Russian information campaigns and blows to its reputation, Mozart Group’s current predicament illustrates the delicate position in which such private security contractors operating on both sides of the conflict find themselves in.”

67. United States: Former National Security Council Director Under President Trump was Investigated for Espionage

The Daily Mail reported on January 11th that “a former senior director at the National Security Council was under an espionage-related investigation for months before he joined the White House, sources have told DailyMail.com. Dr. Andrew Peek, NSC senior director for European and Russian affairs under President Trump, was marched out of the White House amid a reported ‘security investigation’ in January 2020. The details of the spy probe have remained a mystery — until now. Sources close to the investigation claimed his alleged suspicious activity that sparked the probe in 2019 included persuading a State Department staffer to forward him her high-ranking boss’s emails, diverting official trips to unrelated destinations in the Czech Republic and Qatar, and even buying a ‘swastika pendant’ for his then-girlfriend on one Doha trip. A spokesperson for Peek told DailyMail.com the claims were ‘false’ and ‘salacious mud-slinging’. Peek was working for the State Department at the time of the October 2019 probe, when he was suddenly tapped by Donald Trump’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Robert O’Brien to join his White House team in a highly sensitive role: leading the Russia desk. Two sources who were in senior positions in the State Department and White House at the time said O’Brien would have been briefed on the investigation by Diplomatic Security Services — but decided to hire Peek anyway. They were surprised Peek was able to keep the top security clearances necessary to do his job despite being the target of an espionage-related probe. ‘There were incidents that began to arouse my suspicions,’ one former White House source close to the investigation told DailyMail.com. ‘His personal scheduler was one of the people who flagged to their boss that he was taking these extended trips. ‘Every place he spent a great deal of time was an absolute hive of either Iranian or Qatari officials. ‘There were women in the department that he’d sort of date. But it was more getting them to do things for him and provide information for him. ‘The Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs is probably the most powerful position besides Secretary of State at the department.”

68. New North Korean Cyber Espionage Operation Targeting South Korea

Cyber threat intelligence researcher Kimberly discovered and disclosed technical indicators of a new cyber espionage operation attributed to an actor dubbed as KIMSUKY, previously associated with the government of North Korea. The operation involved a lure Microsoft Word document with a presentation for “2021 International Security Environment Assessment and Korea’s Strategy” which, if opened, was covertly installing a custom cyber espionage software implant. The target of the operation was South Korean-speaking entities and individuals.

69. United Kingdom: Britain’s 42 Coups Since 1945

On January 12th the Declassified UK published this article with its introduction stating that “the UK has planned or executed over 40 attempts to remove foreign governments in 27 countries since the end of the Second World War, involving the intelligence agencies, covert and overt military interventions and assassinations, Declassified has found.” The article starts by saying that “probably the most well-known coup staged by British intelligence since 1945 was the overthrow of Iran’s democratically-elected government in 1953 — an operation planned with the CIA. But the UK has been involved in at least 41 other attempts to overthrow governments since the end of the Second World War. These have ranged from intelligence-led to military-led operations, both overt and covert, with some being successful from Whitehall’s standpoint, while many have failed to achieve their objectives. Many remain little known, while others are shrouded in secrecy, with only a few details having emerged. The year 1953 was in fact a busy one for Whitehall planners since, as well as removing Mohammed Mossadeq in Iran, they sent a gunboat to overthrow the democratically-elected government in British Guiana, led by the popular nationalist Cheddi Jagan. At the same time, they were promoting anti-government propaganda operations in another Latin American state, Guatemala. That British campaign prepared the ground for the 1954 CIA-engineered overthrow of another nationalist, and elected government, under Jacobo Arbenz. As if this wasn’t enough, UK covert operatives were also busy at the time planning the removal and assassination of Egypt’s president Gamal Abdel Nasser, in various schemes after Nasser took power in a 1952 nationalist revolution.” The full list of targeted countries from that article is: Ukraine (1945–48), Baltic states (1946–52), Albania (1949–52), Guatemala (1950–54), Egypt (1952–57), Guyana (1953), Iran (1953), Egypt (1956), Syria (1956), Indonesia (1957–59), Syria (1957), Congo (1961), Yemen (1962–70), British Guiana (1963), Brazil (1964), Saudi Arabia (1964), Indonesia (1965–66), Sharjah (1965), Abu Dhabi (1966), Ghana (1966), Uganda (1969), Libya (1970–71), Oman (1970), Uganda (1970s), Australia (1975), Angola (1975–76), Italy (1976), Afghanistan (1980–88), Libya (1986), Iraq (1990s), Azerbaijan (1992), Yugoslavia (1992), Azerbaijan (1993), Libya (1996), Afghanistan (2001), Iraq (2001), Iraq (2003), Syria (2011–18), Libya (2011), Bolivia (2019), and Venezuela (2019).

70. Podcast: Team House: Profiling Dictators with US Government Psychiatrist — Dr. Ken Dekleva

The Team House published this podcast episode on January 14th. As per its description, “Dr. Kenneth Dekleva served as a Regional Medical Officer/Psychiatrist with the U.S. Dept. of State from 2002–2016, and is a Senior Fellow at the George HW Bush Foundation for US-China Relations. He is also the author of the novel The Negotiator’s Cross. The views expressed are entirely his own and do not represent the views of the U.S. Government or the U.S. Dept. of State.”

71. ‘A Spy Paradise’: Austria Confirmed as a Location for Global Espionage

The Local from Austria published this article on January 11th stating that “after years of speculation that Austria is a hub for spies, a new report confirms what many already believed — that the Alpine Republic is the ‘preferred area’ for intelligence activity. No, this is not a plot for a Bond film — Austria really has been confirmed as a “spy paradise” by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism. The main reasons for this are Austria’s neutrality, the low threat of legal punishment and the weakness of the domestic counterintelligence services, the office said. Additional factors are the presence of many international organisations and the economic strength of the country. The main states involved in espionage on Austrian soil are believed to be Russia, China, Iran and Turkey, reports Die Presse. The release of the report follows the unmasking of a Russian agent in Vienna in December 2022 who had reportedly been spying for the Russian intelligence services for several years. Speaking after the arrest, a spokesperson for the Ministry of the Interior said: “There is a suspicion that he was used as a source of information on foreign, social and security policy among the Austrian population, in the country and in the press, and was therefore brought to Moscow to gauge possible reactions from abroad in the run-up to the military operation.” Back in March of 2022, a Financial Times article also alleged that Vienna was a “veritable aircraft carrier” of covert Russian activity, with the Russian Embassy in the capital named as a key site. Likewise, the recent report by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution and Counterterrorism identifies embassies as key locations for spying activity. Allegations of spying in Austria, especially in Vienna, go back to the Cold War when its geographical location made it attractive to spies from the east and west. But recent concerns about espionage in Austria’s capital started in 2017 when a “friendly partner service” — reportedly British — warned Austria about an outflow of information from the BVT.”

72. TikTok Battles Privacy Concerns and Espionage Fears in Europe

EuroNews reported on January 10th that “fame has often been described as a double-edged sword, with a delicate balancing act of perks and burdens, joys and woes, that can beguile and confound at equal rates. For TikTok, popularity is proving to be a formidable challenge, one that threatens to knock the company down from its absolute peak. The video-sharing app, which became worldwide famous during the stay-at-home days of the COVID-19 pandemic and since then evolved into a powerful tech giant on par with Silicon Valley titans, finds itself under increasing scrutiny from legislators, policy-makers and journalists around the world, who worry about the undesired side effects of its astonishing rise. TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew this week flew to the Belgian capital for high-level meetings with several European Commissioners, including Margrethe Vestager, the executive vice-president who oversees the bloc’s digital agenda, and Věra Jourová, in charge of values and transparency. The meetings, a European Commission spokesperson told Euronews, took place “at the request of the company” and focused on the obligations that will arise from the European Union’s brand-new set of twin regulations, the Digital Services Act (DSA) and the Digital Markets Act (DMA). “We are aware of the concerns related to the use of TikTok,” the spokesperson noted. Western regulators suspect TikTok, whose parent company, ByteDance, is headquartered in Beijing, has the potential to bring sensitive data from private citizens into the hands of the Chinese government and exploit its algorithm of content recommendation to spread communist propaganda.”

73. The “Passitora” Company, the “Chase” from Cyprus, the EYP Apartment and the “Toka” Programme! Bangladeshi Agents Trained Private Individuals in Athens. The Illegal Spyware Predator was Sold by Former Mossad Agent Tal Dilian

On January 10th the Greek Edolio5 published an article with details of the espionage scandal that started in 2022 in Greece. It starts by stating that “an important revelation was made by the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, which reports that Bangladeshi intelligence service officials came to Athens in 2021 and 2022 to be trained in the surveillance system they bought from Israel, specifically from a company controlled by former Israeli intelligence officer Tal Dilian. According to edolio5’s sources, a 1st floor apartment in the area of ​​Chalandri was used as a training centre that EYP was using it as a safe house and it appears that a technical company is operating from.” The article also states that “Passitora, a company registered in Cyprus, is controlled by Tal Dilian, an Israeli businessman and former intelligence chief. Formerly known as WiSpear, it was embroiled in a scandal that began with an interview Dilian gave to Forbes in which he revealed the existence of the company’s SpearHead system, which includes a van equipped with tracking equipment and tracking software that collects data from mobile phones over mobile and Wi-Fi networks, including encrypted WhatsApp messages, Facebook chats, contact lists, calls and text messages within a radius of approximately half a kilometer. A presentation about WiSpear claims the system can be used to inject spyware into computers and mobile phones within its range.” And it continues that “Passitora is part of the Intellexa Alliance, a network of companies run by Dilian that has acquired a range of sophisticated surveillance technologies, including mobile phone hacking spyware, which it sells to government agencies around the world.”

74. A Variant of CIA’s Cyber Espionage Framework HIVE Found in the Wild Targeting

As reported by threat intelligence researcher Blackobird on January 9th, the Chinese NetLab 360 published a technical analysis of HIVE, a CIA cyber espionage solution. According to the article, “on October 21, 2022, 360 NetLab’s honeypot system captured a suspicious ELF file (ee07a74d12c0bb3594965b51d0e45b6f) that was propagated through the F5 vulnerability and detected by VT. The traffic monitoring system prompted that it and the IP 45.9.150.144 generated SSL traffic, and both parties used forged Kaspersky certificates . This got our attention. After analysis, we confirmed that it was derived from the source code of the CIA’s leaked Hive project server. This is the first time we have captured a variant of the CIA HIVE attack kit in the wild. Based on the CN=xdr33 of its embedded bot-side certificate, we internally named it xdr33. Regarding the CIA’s Hive project, there are a large number of source code analysis articles on the internet, readers can refer to it by themselves, and will not expand here. In a nutshell, xdr33 is a backdoor trojan born out of the CIA Hive project. Its main purpose is to collect sensitive information and provide a foothold for subsequent intrusions.”

75. Belgian Gets 40-Year Sentence for Espionage in Iran

On January 11th the Tansim News Agency of Iran reported that “the ruling was handed down on Tuesday after Olivier Vandecasteele was convicted by the Judiciary of four charges, including spying activities, collusion with the United States, currency smuggling and money laundering. The Judiciary said the 41-year-old Belgian national was found guilty of “espionage against the Islamic Republic of Iran for the benefit of foreign intelligence services,” and given a 12 and a half year jail sentence, Press TV reported. Vandecasteele was handed the same sentence for the crime of “cooperation with the hostile government of the United States,” and given another 12 and a half years for “money laundering.” The 41-year-old was also handed a further two and a half years as well as 74 lashes for “professional currency smuggling to the amount of $500,000.” Last week, an informed source told Tasnim that the Iranian Intelligence Ministry forces had arrested the Belgian national who had come to Iran under the guise of philanthropic activities with the purpose of spying for the US government and distributing money among groups active in the anti-security spheres.”

76. United States Supreme Court Dismisses Spyware Company NSO Group’s Claim of Immunity

The Record reported this on January 9th saying that “the Supreme Court dismissed on Monday an attempt by the Israeli spyware vendor NSO Group to claim immunity from legal challenges. NSO Group filed a petition for a writ of certiorari last year, arguing that under common law it could not be hauled before a judge as it was merely an agent of the foreign governments to whom it sold its products. The same claim of immunity had previously been dismissed twice by U.S. courts, first by a California district court and then by the Ninth Circuit. The Supreme Court’s website on Monday was updated to say that NSO Group’s most recent petition had also been denied. The petition was made in response to a legal challenge brought in 2019 by the messaging company WhatsApp over the use of the Pegasus hacking tool to target its infrastructure and approximately 1,400 users. NSO Group could now be forced to turn over documents to litigants as part of that case and several other claims being brought against it, most of them alleging the company’s involvement in human rights abuses. Carrie DeCell, senior staff attorney at the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, said the institute welcomed the decision. The Knight First Amendment Institute is currently challenging the spyware vendor “on behalf of journalists and other members of the leading Central American news organization El Faro” whom it argued are “the victims of spyware attacks using NSO Group’s Pegasus technology.” In a rare moment of unity for the technology industry, WhatsApp’s initial lawsuit against NSO received the support of competitors including Google and Microsoft, alongside other tech companies such as Cisco and Dell. WhatsApp is owned by Facebook parent company Meta. Apple subsequently brought its own legal action against NSO.”

77. Qatar Expels Indian Defence Attaché over Espionage Charges

Following 2022 week 45 story #9, on January 9th Global Village Space stated that “reports are making the rounds on social media claiming that Qatar has expelled India’s Defence Attaché for alleged involvement in espionage for Israel. Pertinent to mention that eight former Indian Navy officers were detained in Qatar last year. The New Indian Express said the former naval officers were ‘mysteriously’ detained in Doha. “All of them were working for a firm called Dahra Global Technologies and Consultancy and were reportedly engaged in conducting naval exercises,” it said. “The officers were working with Dahra in Doha for the past five years. Sometime in August, they were picked up from their homes in the middle of the night by the State Security Bureau, ministry of interior Qatar,” the report said. The detained officers include Commander Purnendu Tiwari (awarded President’s medal), the managing director of the company. The others are Cdr Navtej Singh Gill, director (naval training); Cdr Birendra Kumar Verma, director of the naval academy; Cdr Sugunakar Pakala, director, FCN; Cdr Sanjeev Gupta, Cdr Amit Nagpal, Capt Saurab Vasisht and Ragesh Gopakumar. Reports claimed that the officers were detained by Qatar on charges of spying for Israel, however, India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) revealed no information regarding the allegations against these former officials. The latest round of reports claims that Qatar has expelled the Indian Defence Attaché for being linked to the detained ex-naval officers. The reports are yet to be officially verified.”

78. Taiwan: Court Finds Former Air Force Officers Guilty in Taiwan’s Latest Espionage Case

On January 11th RFA reported that “a court in Taipei has found two former high-ranking military officers guilty of violating the national security law in the latest espionage case involving Taiwanese military personnel. Former Air Force Major Gen. Chien Yao-tung and Lt. Col. Wei Hsien-yi were accused of trying to recruit active and retired officers to spy for China, the official Central News Agency (CNA) reported. According to Tuesday’s court indictment, Chien and Wei approached at least five senior officers, both retired and on duty, on behalf of a Hong Kong businessman who acted as a recruiter for China’s state security ministry. Among the officers introduced by the two to the Hong Kong man was Chang Che-ping, who served as Taiwan’s vice minister of defense in charge of policy from 2019–2021. Chang was investigated in 2021 for his alleged contact with a Chinese spy ring but was not found guilty and officially named as a witness. The two former officers — Chien and Wei — both received suspended sentences up to five years and were ordered to pay fines of up to TW$600,000 (U.S.$19,700), a punishment seen by some observers as too lenient. “Taiwan’s military prosecutors have been abolished, so even if the accused were found guilty of participating in military espionage operations, the sentences could be brief and not making the necessary deterrent effect,” said Shen Ming-shih, acting deputy chief executive officer at the Institute for National Defense and Security Research in Taipei. Taiwan’s Military Trial Act was amended in 2013 to eliminate military trials of officers in peacetime. “Because of this, the problem of keeping secrets and preventing espionage in the military is becoming more and more serious,” Shen told RFA.”

79. Podcast: SpyScape: Balkan Betrayals, Part 1: The Correspondent

On January 10th, SpyScape’s True Spies series released this new episode titled “Balkan Betrayals, Part 1: The Correspondent. Sophia Di Martino joins a CIA spy in the heart of a European warzone.” As per its description, “in the early 1990s, the collapse of Yugoslavia sparked a brutal series of conflicts in Eastern Europe. At first, the USA pursued a policy of non-intervention — officially. Unofficially? That’s where H.K Roy comes in. Sophia Di Martino joins H.K as he monitors the warzone for the CIA. In Part 1, H.K makes the leap from plying his tradecraft in a quiet corner of the continent to becoming a spy-cum-war-reporter, brushing against danger at every turn.”

80. Ukrainian SBU Announces the Prison Terms for 2 Russian FSB Agents

Following 2022 week 30 story #35, on January 14th Ukraine’s SBU stated that “two Russian agents will spend 8 years behind bars. As a result of investigative and operational actions, indisputable evidence of the guilt of two more enemy accomplices was collected. The attackers gathered intelligence about the location and movement of units of the Defence Forces in the front-line areas of the Donetsk region. SBU counterintelligence officers detained both Russian agents during a special operation in the region in July last year. According to the materials of the Security Service, the court sentenced them to 8 years in prison. As the investigation established, two former colleagues from Sloviansk turned out to be enemy agents. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, they were recruited by a representative of the FSB to carry out reconnaissance and subversive activities in the region. Initially, the aggressor caught sight of a woman who was actively spreading her pro-Kremlin views on banned social networks. Later, she involved her former colleague in cooperation with the enemy. For communication with the Russian intelligence service, they used a previously developed anonymous Telegram channel. Based on the collected evidence, the court found both perpetrators guilty.”

81. The Pro-Russian Hacktivist Group Targeting NATO

Private cyber security and intelligence firm Sentinel Labs published this technical analysis for a cyber actor they dubbed as NoName057(16). As per the analysis’ executive summary: 1) Pro-Russia hacktivist group NoName057(16) is conducting a campaign of DDoS attacks on Ukraine and NATO organizations that began in the early days of the war in Ukraine. Targets have included government organizations and critical infrastructure. 2) NoName057(16) was responsible for disrupting services across the financial sector of Denmark this week. Other recent attacks include organizations and businesses across Poland, Lithuania and others. 3) On January 11th, we observed NoName057(16) begin targeting 2023 Czech presidential election candidates’ websites. 4) SentinelLabs has identified how the group operates over public Telegram channels, a volunteer-fueled DDoS payment program, a multi-OS supported toolkit, and GitHub.

82. More Mossad Elements Captured in Iran, Plot to Assassinate Military Official Foiled

Tansim News Agency reported on January 10th that “the Iranian Intelligence Ministry said it has arrested at least 13 members of “espionage and terrorist” teams linked with the Zionist regime’s Mossad spy agency after detecting two other teams in the country. In a statement released on Tuesday, the Intelligence Ministry said a total of six operational teams of Mossad have been detected in Iran in the past few weeks. The ministry said 23 operational and logistical elements of those terrorist teams have been identified in the provinces of Tehran, Isfahan, Yazd, West Azarbaijan and Golestan, adding that 13 people have been arrested so far and their various equipment used for operations has been confiscated. The ringleader of the network, operating under the alias Sirous, was residing in a European country and established contact with the operational agents inside Iran via Instagram and WhatsApp social networks, it added. The Intelligence Ministry also noted that the Mossad terrorist organization had plans to take advantage of the recent riots in some parts of Iran to assassinate a military official, conduct several acts of sabotage in big cities, and transfer huge quantities of explosives to Iran from the southern sea borders, adding that all of their elements have been identified and arrested. The ministry described the successful counter-espionage operation as the second big defeat that the fake and transient Zionist regime has suffered in the intelligence and operational sphere from Iran in less than six months.”

83. Podcast: AFIO: Bruce Henderson on The Secret Military Intelligence Role of Japanese Americans in World War II

On January 9th the United States Association of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) published this recording. As per its description, “interview of Tuesday, 25 October 2022 of Bruce Henderson, author of “Bridge to the Sun: The Secret Role of the Japanese Americans Who Fought in the Pacific in World War II.” Host: AFIO’s President, James Hughes, a former senior CIA Operations Officer. They discuss the little known selfless military service by Japanese Americans who trained and served at home and abroad on numerous dangerous operations assisting the U.S. and its Allies in winning WWII, knowing they had another battle to win back home in the U.S. Acceptance of their people who were currently being kept in internment camps.”

84. Ukrainian SBU Publishes Summary of Counter-Intelligence Operations

On January 10th Ukraine’s Security Service (SBU) published as summary of completed counter-intelligence operations stating that “since the beginning of the war, the SBU has exposed more than 600 Russian agents and spies. More than 340 of them have been sent to court.” Then it covers 4 cases: 1) In Kyiv “the SBU neutralised a Russian intelligence group, which included officials of the Cabinet of Ministers and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Ukraine. Officials gave the enemy intelligence on the arrangement of the state border and personal data of Ukrainian law enforcement officers.” 2) in Mykolaiv “the former head of the Mykolaiv District Prosecutor’s Office was exposed, who after February 24 of last year voluntarily offered his help to the enemy in the war against Ukraine. While in office, the attacker passed on information about the results of enemy shelling, passwords at checkpoints, and information about military prisoners of the Russian Federation to the Russian special services.” 3) In Khmelnytskyi “the SBU detained a spy — a citizen of the Russian Federation, who arrived in Ukraine back in January 2022 to carry out intelligence and subversive activities against our state. His “cover” was allegedly visiting relatives. And the real task is to create an extensive agent network for gathering intelligence and carrying out sabotage in the western regions of our country.” And 4) In Volyn “one more spy was neutralised. He turned out to be a citizen of Belarus, who collected information about the deployment and movement of units of the Armed Forces in the region.”

85. Video: US U-2 Spy Plane Takes Off From Philippines, Destinations to Polish-Ukrainian Border

On January 10th the Military Forces YouTube channel published this video. As per its description, “US U-2 Spy Plane Takes Off From Philippines, Destinations To Polish-Ukrainian Border. U-2, spy plane Flying day and night, at altitude (70,000 feet, 21,300 meters), US Air Force all-weather intelligence gathering.”

86. Podcast: Paul Holtzclaw — Counterintelligence, D Co 165th MI Bn

On January 10th Pete A Turner published a new podcast episode. As per its description, “Paul Holtzclaw was in Delta Company 165th with Pete A Turner. They we counterintelligence agents assigned in Germany. These shows that feature counterintelligence agents are special because it takes a special person to collect these incredible people. Counterintelligence agents typically, don’t talk. One of Paul’s knacks in the CI spy world was language capacity. In Paul’s era, the cold war was in its last years. This means during Paul’s career touches the Cold War and concludes in the Digital Age. It’s quite the legacy and we’re excited to get into Paul’s past.”

87. How a British Submarine Spent Hours Under a Russian Aircraft Carrier

On January 11th The Warzone reported that “in 1977, with the Cold War in full swing, the U.K. Royal Navy’s nuclear-powered attack submarine HMS Swiftsure (S-126) slipped right into the heart of a large-scale Soviet Northern Fleet exercise in the Barents Sea. The British submarine penetrated undetected through the layered escort screens of destroyers and frigates and meticulously approached the Russian aircraft carrier Kiev. The submarine recorded extremely valuable acoustic signatures and took incredible underwater periscope pictures of the Soviet carrier’s hull and propellers. As an example of a perfect covert operation, the Soviet Navy had absolutely no idea about the presence of the NATO attack submarine and the amount of valuable data it was able to collect.”

88. Afgan Counter-Intelligence Arrests 10 Mossad Agents in Baghlan

The Taliban Public Relations Department reported on January 13th that “10 men were arrested in Baghlan province’s Salang district on suspicion of working for the #Israeli intelligence service Mossad. They were apprehended following a sting operation by Afghan security forces disguised as CIA agents.”

89. United States: NSA Cryptologic History Symposium 2022 Recordings

This week the National Security Agency (NSA) shared 11 recordings of the 2022 Cryptologic History Symposium, also available in a playlist. Those are 1) Keynote Speech — Admiral Bobby Ray Inman, USN (ret.), 2) The Making of “CryptoComics”, 3) The Making of “The Last Elephant Cage”, 4) Cryptology in France: Strengths & Weaknesses, 5) World War II Tactical Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), 6) Collecting Signals Intelligence (SIGINT), 7) Looking Back at the Secure Data Network System (SDNS), 8) Cryptology and Prisoners of War, 9) Update on the National Cryptologic Museum and Library, 10) Going Online with KEPLER, and 11) Cryptologic Icons: Some Old, Some New.

90. The Secret Handwritten Memos Behind Israel’s Nuclear Project

The Wilson Centre released this article on January 11th starting by saying that “Or Rabinowitz assesses a mysterious trove of handwritten Hebrew-language notes that seemingly contain secret snippets of Israel’s nuclear history” as well as that “several years ago, a trove of handwritten Hebrew-language notes that seemingly contained heretofore secret snippets of Israel’s nuclear history surfaced. An undisclosed source gave Israeli historian Adam Raz –the author of two books in Hebrew about Israel’s nuclear history — an envelope full of handwritten notes, letters, and protocols, all related to Israel’s nuclear program in the 1960s and 1970s. The notes are generally unsigned (leaving the authorship unclear or in doubt) and many are also undated.”

91. United States: FBI Counterintelligence Raided Chinese Police Station in New York

The National Review reported on January 12th that “the FBI raided a Chinese police station in Manhattan last year, seizing documents from the facility in a criminal investigation into China’s overseas presence in the U.S., the New York Times reported today. The paper revealed that the search took place last year, at a Chinatown facility scrutinized for its alleged role as a branch of the security bureau of the city of Fuzhou, citing people knowledgeable of the probe. The FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn — which the Times reported was involved in the raid — declined to comment for the Times story. The existence of the Manhattan outpost first came to light via a report by the NGO Safeguard Defenders, which has documented over 100 police stations run by various Chinese provinces and cities in several foreign countries. More than a dozen other governments have also launched investigations into stations operating in their own territory, though the FBI search reported on today is the first known instance of such a raid. Safeguard Defenders said that it found evidence that four such police stations exist in the U.S.: two in New York, one in Los Angeles, and another at an undetermined location.”

92. Podcast: Electronic Warfare: The US FARRAH Spy Satellites in the Falklands War

On January 11th Armada International published a new podcast episode. As per its description, “a recent article contained a startling revelation that US FARRAH satellites provided SIGINT to British forces during the Falklands War. Taking its name from film and television icon Farrah Fawcett, America’s FARRAH Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) satellites were launched from 1982. That same year, the UK deployed forces to the South Atlantic to liberate the Falkland Islands from Argentine control following their invasion on 2nd April. The article by space expert Dwayne Day revealed these satellites had provided SIGINT to the British military during the Falklands War. Mr. Day tells us more about this extraordinary revelation in our latest Armada Electronic Warfare Podcast.”

93. The Perfect Spy Was a Cuban Agent

Following 2022 week 52 story #63 and last week’s story #29, on January 13th SpyTalk published this article. As per its introduction, “Ana Belen Montes, the most effective and damaging Cuban spy known to have penetrated U.S. intelligence, was a major warrior in the long nasty war between the United States and its communist neighbor. On Jan. 6, after serving just over 21 years of a 25 year sentence for espionage, she was released from a maximum security prison, perhaps drawing the curtain on the deadly clandestine conflict involving efforts by Cuban exiles and their U.S. allies to reverse the revolution led by Fidel Castro.”

94. Nigeria Captured 2 Foreign Informants

On January 14th the Defense News Nigeria reported that “Nigerian troops took captive 21 logistics suppliers and two foreign informants during the week. The Nigerian army consider these spies far more dangerous than ISWAP fighters themselves. These informants typically provide their information to another set of spies who would then pass it to the insurgents. Operating on their information, the terrorists will then change their location or setup ambushes. ISWAP have figured out that the best way to get new information on the ground is to have someone near the target. Disguised as petty traders, these spies carry out surveillance on troop positions and movement. Even now that ISWAP is weakened and gradually disintegrating, its intelligence bureau still presents a major challenge.”

95. Podcast: Electronic Warfare: General Practitioners

On January 12th Armada International published this podcast episode. As per its description, “as the electromagnetic spectrum becomes more congested and contested so the EW practitioner’s work increases. Human factors play a key role in Electronic Warfare (EW) but how do we empower EW practitioners to meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges? How do the tasks of today’s EW practitioners differ from those of yesterday? What tools do today’s and tomorrow’s practitioners need to meet contemporary and future threats? To discuss these important subjects Armada’s EW Podcast chats to Dave Devine and Phil Guy of Mellori Solutions, a leading Australian EW company.”

96. Iranian Arrested in Germany on Suspicion of Planning Terrorist Attack

Iran International reported on January 8th that “nti-terrorist agents in Germany have detained a 32-year-old Iranian man who is accused of planning an Islamist-motivated attack using chemicals. The DPA news agency reported Sunday that the man along with another one has been arrested in Castrop-Rauxel in Germany’s north-western Ruhr area. Police say he is suspected of having obtained the toxins cyanide and ricin which are highly toxic and listed as biological weapons by Germany. “The accused is suspected of having prepared a serious act of violence that is dangerous to the state,” investigators said. “Evidence has been secured and is being evaluated,” added DPA. It has not yet been decided whether the 32-year-old will be brought before a court, but police said, it may carry a prison sentence of between six months to 10 years. Tabloid newspaper Bild reported that German authorities had been watching the men for days, after receiving a warning from a “friendly intelligence agency.” According to local media, the raids were carried out by agents wearing protective suits, due to the chemical hazard. Germany has been targeted in recent years by several Islamist attacks. In 2016 a truck attack on a Christmas market killed and injured dozens. German domestic intelligence services say the number of supporters of Islamist causes has decreased by 1.5 percent in 2021, citing the “military breakup” of the ISIS group.”

97. Greece: EYP Target 519c Report on Suspicious Real Estate Purchase

Following 2022 week 51 story #65 where it was revealed that the Greek National Intelligence Service (EYP) had Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff (GEETHA), Konstantinos Floros, under surveillance with the codename “target 519c”, on January 14th Greek media reported that “new information regarding the surveillance, of Chief of the Hellenic National Defence General Staff, Konstantinos Floros, by the National Intelligence Service, is brought to light by the newspaper Documento with its report tomorrow. As foreshadowed by the front page of tomorrow’s paper published today, the leader of GEETHA appears to have bought a house worth 600,000 Euros with “black” money. The report quotes specifically: “According to external intelligence, the target purchased a house in the area of ​​Papagos, for 1,200,000 Euros, of which 600,000 Euros were paid with “black” money. In addition, his daughter lives in Agia Paraskevi in ​​a residence for 1,500 Euros, which causes particular concern for the lifestyle of the target and repayment of the movements in question”.”

98. Podcast: Spycraft 101: Flying for the CIA: A Continental Air Services Contractor with Toby Scott

On January 14th Spycraft 101 published this podcast episode. As per its description, “in the spring of 1982, hundreds of Laotian refugees gathered to honor the life of CIA case officer Jerry Daniels, the only white man to ever receive a traditional three-day-long Hmong funeral. Jerry joined the CIA after working as a smokejumper in Montana with my previous podcast guest Lee Gossett. After working on Operation Coldfeet in the Arctic Circle, which saw the first use of the Skyhook recovery system, Jerry next went to Laos, where he developed deep, lasting ties to the indigenous Hmong people that worked so closely with the CIA. The ties went both ways as he was deeply respected and loved by the Hmong themselves. After several years as a cargo kicker, he took a position as a case officer. By 1970 he was directly handling Vang Pao, the infamous anti-communist Laotian general who led the fight on the ground in Laos. By 1975, the CIA and all other American government organizations were pulling out of the region. Jerry remained at the American embassy in Bangkok, Thailand undercover with the State Department. He helped interview and evacuate thousands of refugees who had worked with the US during the war effort, many of whom resettled in Montana and the surrounding area. But then in April 1982, Jerry’s story took a bizarre turn. After missing work for three days in a row, his body was found in his apartment, already in an advanced state of decomposition. The Thai government conducted an autopsy and declared his cause of death was asphyxiation. The apartment’s water heater malfunctioned and filled the rooms with carbon monoxide. It appeared to be a tragic and unexpected end to a life well lived. Jerry’s remains were shipped back to the US in a sealed coffin which was interred, unopened. Thousands of Hmong who owed their lives to Jerry celebrated him for three days straight. For decades afterwards they questioned whether he was even dead, and always left an empty chair and a full plate for him at any gathering, should he decide to return. For episode 60 of the podcast, I spoke to Toby Scott, Jerry’s closest lifelong friend. We discussed their time together as smokejumpers the mountains, flying high above the Arctic Circle, and deep in the jungles of Laos.”