Indian spies were expelled from Australia by the former Scott Morrison government, accused of trying to obtain classified information about our trade partnerships and sensitive national security information, officials have revealed.
Intelligence officials from the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) managed to disrupt the spy ring in 2020.
The agency was made aware of a series of activities allegedly carried out by the officers who were keeping a close eye on Indians living in Australia.
The so-called ‘nest of spies’ from India also had close relationships with several current and former Australian politicians, the ABC reported.
ASIO officials managed to track down and disrupt a ‘nest of spies’ from India’s Foreign Intelligence Service trying to access classified information (Photo ASIO Director General Mike Burgess)
ASIO director-general Mike Burgess first referred to the spy ring in his annual threat assessment delivered to the agency’s headquarters in Canberra in 2021, but did not name the country.
“The spies developed targeted relationships with current and former politicians, a foreign embassy and a state police force,” he said at the time.
“They were monitoring their country’s diaspora community. They attempted to obtain classified information about Australia’s trade relations.
“They asked an official to provide information about security protocols at a major airport.”
Australian national security officials and senior government officials have now told the ABC that India’s foreign intelligence service, known as the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), was responsible for the undercover agents.
RAW is India’s external intelligence agency, established in 1968 by the Intelligence Bureau of India.
‘A number’ of Indian officials were removed from Australia by the then Morrison government after their undercover activities were discovered.
Mr Burgess also explained at the time how the ‘nest of spies’ recruited an individual from the Australian government who had security clearance to provide them with sensitive information about Australian defense technology.
The spies were asked to leave Australia by officials from the government of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison (pictured with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi).
The spies attempted to access security protocols at a major airport in Australia with the help of an official (photo stock image)
Last year he declined to provide details of any concerns raised by ASIO officials in Australia about overseas operations conducted by the Indian government.
‘I do not comment on the actions of any government. However, I can assure you that if we come across acts of foreign interference or a plot for it, we will deal with it,” he told the newspaper. ABC.
When asked whether he was directly involved in removing Indian intelligence agents from Australia, Burgess declined to disclose operational matters.
Daily Mail Australia has contacted ASIO, the Indian High Commission and the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet for comment.
India’s intelligence activities have come under scrutiny after Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau accused the Indian government of being involved in the killing of a Sikh activist in British Columbia in June last year.
The Indian government denied that officials were involved in the incident.
The agents also recruited an Australian government security cleared individual to obtain details of Australia’s defense technology (stock image)