MESSAGE TO RUSSIAN SPIES
Australia’s high spymaster Mike Burgess mentioned safety vetting was not a assure in opposition to espionage as a result of “it will depend on what you say”.
“In the event you meet the necessities to get a safety clearance, you’ll get a safety clearance. However that doesn’t imply to say the safety journey stops at this level,” he advised journalists.
Burgess, director-general of the Australian Safety and Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), mentioned the authorities had been capable of “intervene and management this operation”.
Requested how the plot was uncovered, he would solely say it was attributable to “defence consciousness”.
“This case displays and demonstrates an efficient safety tradition, not a poor one,” Burgess mentioned.
The spy chief issued a direct enchantment for Russian spies to return clear to the Australian authorities.
He recalled the 1954 defection of Soviet spies Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov to Australia, resulting in the publicity of Russian intelligence property internationally.
“I wish to converse on to the operatives of Russian intelligence companies,” Burgess mentioned.
“This 12 months marks the seventieth anniversary of the Petrov defections,” he mentioned. “If you wish to share your secrets and techniques, please attain out. ASIO is all the time listening.”
Burgess mentioned Australia confronted an actual espionage risk, with a number of international locations in search of to steal its secrets and techniques.
“Overseas intelligence companies are succesful, decided and affected person. They play the lengthy sport. The issue for them is ASIO does too,” Burgess warned.
“In the event you’re conducting espionage on this nation, we’ll detect you, and we’ll take care of you. Usually, that’s by way of intelligence-led disruptions. However after we can assist a prosecution, we’ll assist a prosecution.”