SYDNEY: Mike Burgess, the head of Australia’s main intelligence agency, made an unprecedented revelation on Wednesday, disclosing the presence of an “A-Team” of foreign spies actively targeting Australian academics, politicians, and businesspeople.
In a rare public disclosure of counterespionage operations, Burgess, who heads the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), unveiled the unit’s existence and operations in an effort to disrupt ongoing espionage activities.
Addressing an audience in Canberra, Burgess warned that the foreign intelligence service, operating under the codename “the A-team,” had made Australia its priority target, aggressively recruiting people with access to sensitive political, economic, and defense information. He outlined the unit’s tactics, which include posing as consultants, headhunters, and government officials on social networking sites, using false identities and promises of financial rewards to entice targets.
Australia Unveils Foreign Espionage Network
Burgess cited instances where the unit successfully obtained privileged information, including cases involving an academic and a former politician who betrayed their country’s interests. He emphasized the need for heightened awareness among Australians, particularly those working in sensitive sectors, about the risks posed by foreign espionage.
The disclosure comes amidst Australia’s membership in the Five Eyes intelligence-sharing alliance, making it an attractive target for operatives from countries such as China and Russia. Burgess’s decision to declassify information about the espionage network aims to raise awareness among Australians and send a clear message to the foreign intelligence service responsible.
In addition to warning the A-team of being exposed, Burgess stated that the unit’s leaders had been confronted by Australian intelligence operatives, signaling Australia’s proactive stance against foreign espionage activities. He underscored the importance of disrupting these operations and holding perpetrators accountable for their actions.
