Foreign interference highest in Australian history, says nation’s spy chief

The Australian national, who normally lives overseas, was arrested in Sydney and appeared before Parramatta Local Court on 15 April to face one count of Reckless Foreign Interference.

It was alleged the man met overseas with two individuals, known to him as “Ken” and “Evelyn”, who offered money for information about Australian defence, economic, and national security arrangements.

The Australian Federal Police allege the man compiled a number of reports for the suspected foreign intelligence service individuals and received payment for those reports, before being arrested on 14 April as part of a Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce investigation initiated by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO).

“Based on what ASIO is seeing, more Australians are being targeted for espionage and foreign interference than at any time in Australia’s history,” ASIO Director-General of Security Mike Burgess said during the Director-General’s Annual Threat Assessment earlier this year.

“(There are) more hostile foreign intelligence services, more spies, more targeting, more harm, more ASIO investigations, more ASIO disruptions.

“This means ASIO is busier than ever before. Busier than any time in our 74-year history. Busier than the Cold War; busier than 9/11.”

The man is the second individual charged by the Counter Foreign Interference Taskforce since the Commonwealth Parliament passed the National Security Legislation Amendment Bill in 2018.

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Burgess also detailed several foreign interference plots recently foiled by ASIO including reports of defence staff being approached for information about Pine Gap, an overseas “study tour” for journalists and the dismantling of a “spy hive” within Australia.

“Espionage and foreign interference is now our principal security concern. Countering threats to our way of life is soaking up more and more of our resources,” he said.

“The Indo-Pacific is home to great power competition, with the power of the United States, our primary ally, contested by the rise of China, and multiple significant territorial disputes including the South China Sea, Kashmir, the Taiwan Strait, and the Korean Peninsula.

“Multiple nations are using espionage and foreign interference to advance their interests and undermine Australia’s.

“They are using espionage to covertly understand Australia’s politics and decision making, our alliances and partnerships, and our economic and policy priorities. To recruit to their own cause elected officials, public servants, well-placed individuals in business, and leaders in the community. To identify vulnerabilities in essential services and systems that could be exploited in the future and to slow our military modernisation. To steal Australia’s intellectual property.

“They are using foreign interference to shape political and business decision making to their advantage. To monitor, threaten, and even harm members of diaspora communities. To manipulate messages among communities, through foreign language media, and by establishing community organisations.

“The covert activities they are conducting are neither abstract nor harmless. Stealing secrets is not like collecting stamps, espionage is deliberate and damaging.”

Burgess said espionage takes away sovereign choices, steals the advantages of significant investment, damages the economy, undermines military defence, shapes disinformation, and enables sabotage.

“Our adversaries are not the only countries that care whether we take security seriously. As we progress AUKUS, it’s critical our allies know we can keep our secrets and keep their secrets.

“Foreign intelligence services from multiple countries are aggressively seeking secrets about our defence capabilities, government decision making, political parties, foreign policy, critical infrastructure, space technologies, academic and think tank research, medical advances, key export industries and personal information, especially bulk data.

“The threat is not going away. In fact, for some professions, it is getting worse. Since the announcement of AUKUS, there’s been a distinct uptick in the online targeting of people working in Australia’s defence industry.

“Spies are also turning more attention to non-government employees, as well as former clearance holders. These individuals do not have the same security support and reporting obligations as someone who works for ASIO, for example — and are therefore more vulnerable.

“My point is that in an environment where espionage and foreign interference is our principal security concern, the threats facing Australia are more serious and sophisticated than ever before. Our national response must also be more serious and sophisticated.”

The AFP encourages any Australian citizens and residents who may have been approached by “Ken” and “Evelyn” to provide information to the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.