Indian intelligence operatives were expelled from Australia after being apprehended attempting to access classified information concerning sensitive defence projects, airport security protocols, and Australia’s trade relationship, ABC News reported on Wednesday.
The covert foreign espionage operation, dubbed a “nest of spies” by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), was uncovered in 2020. The spies were accused of closely monitoring the Indian community in Australia and cultivating relationships with current and former politicians.
Notably, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess had hinted at the espionage network at the espionage network during his 2021 annual threat assessment but refrained from naming the country involved, citing it as an “unnecessary distraction”.
“The spies developed targeted relationships with current and former politicians, a foreign embassy and a state police service,” Burgess stated during his March 2021 address at ASIO’s Canberra headquarters, as reported by ABC News.
As per the report, he further revealed that the operatives attempted to gather classified information on Australia's trade relations and even solicited a public servant for details on security protocols at a major airport.
Moreover, the espionage ring successfully recruited an Australian government security clearance holder with access to sensitive defence technology information.
According to the ABC report, government sources have now confirmed that India’s foreign intelligence services orchestrated the “nest of spies”, resulting in the expulsion of “a number” of Indian officials by the Morrison government.
Reports from The Washington Post corroborated the expulsion, indicating that two members of India’s Research and Analysis (RAW) were removed from Australia in 2020 following an ASIO counter-intelligence operation.
Notably, these revelations come amid mounting concerns among Western allies regarding the actions of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, particularly concerning alleged involvement in an assassination plot in Canada last September.
As per the ABC report, neither the Indian High Commission nor ASIO had responded to the queries about the espionage operation.
India, a member of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue alongside the United States, Japan and Australia, is viewed as a crucial defence partner in the Indo-Pacific region, where apprehensions over China’s military activities are escalating.
In his 2020 Annual Threat Assessment, Burgess had said, “Multiple countries are seeking to conduct espionage against us — and not just those countries that might be considered our traditional adversaries”.