Russian-born Australian citizens arrested on suspicion of obtaining military intelligence to share with Moscow.
Australian authorities have charged a soldier and her husband with spying on behalf of Russia.
The pair, a 40-year-old army private and a 62-year-old self-employed man, are accused of obtaining Australian Defence Force material to share with Russian authorities, Australian police said Friday.
The couple, both Australian citizens born in Russia, are due to appear in court on Friday to face one charge each of preparing an espionage offence after being arrested at their home in Brisbane the previous day, police said.
The charges carry a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison under legislation introduced in 2018.
Australian Federal Police Commissioner Reece Kershaw told a news conference that the army soldier allegedly made “an undeclared trip to Russia” and instructed her husband in Australia to log into her official work account from home.
“We claim that her husband accessed the requested material and sent it to his wife in Russia. We claim that they were seeking this information with the intention of providing it to the Russian authorities,” Kershaw told reporters.
Kershaw said “no significant compromise” had been identified.
Mike Burgess, head of the spy agency ASIO, said security checks on staff were not foolproof and that authorities had been able to uncover the alleged spy plot because of their “defence and security awareness”.
Burgess said several countries were trying to steal Australia's secrets and that spying was “real”.
“We cannot be naive or complacent. Spying is not a quaint idea, spying damages our economy and degrades our strategic advantage,” Burgess told reporters.
“It has catastrophic real-world consequences. Foreign intelligence services are capable, determined and patient. They play the long game. The problem for them is that ASIO does too.”
Burgess also said he wanted to “speak directly” to Russian intelligence agents who might have information to share, invoking the 1954 defection of Soviet spies Vladimir and Evdokia Petrov to Australia.
“If you want to share your secrets, please contact us. ASIO is always listening,” he said.
