Australia expelled Indian ‘spies’ in 2020 for allegedly stealing classified data, claim reports

Australia expelled two Indian spies in 2020 after they were allegedly caught stealing classified information about sensitive defence projects, airport security and the country’s trade relationships, a report by The Sydney Morning Herald claimed on Tuesday.

The report claimed that in 2021, Mike Burgess, the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, had mentioned the alleged “spy ring” in his annual threat assessment. However, at the time he had not disclosed which country was allegedly involved in it.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation is the country’s national security agency.

National security officials and government officials have now confirmed that India’s foreign intelligence service was responsible for the alleged “nest of spies”, a report by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the country’s public broadcaster, claimed on Tuesday. The report also claimed that “a number” of Indian officials were expelled from Australia in 2020.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation report also claimed that the now-expelled spies were closely monitoring Indians living in Australia and had developed close relationships with current and former politicians.

India and Australia share close bilateral ties and are part of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which also includes the United States and Japan. The Quad is seen as a collaboration to counter the growing influence of China in the Indo-Pacific region.

However, Burgess had hinted in 2022 that the nations considered friendly were still trying to conduct espionage against Australia. “Multiple countries are seeking to conduct espionage against us – and not just those countries that might be considered our traditional adversaries,” he had said.

While sharing the annual threat assessment report in 2021, Burgess had said: “They monitored their country’s diaspora community. They tried to obtain classified information about Australia’s trade relationships.”

He had also claimed at the time that the spies had asked a public servant to provide information on security protocols at a major Australian airport, reported the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

In an interview with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in November, Burgess had declined to confirm that Australia expelled Indian spies.

“We don’t comment on specific operational matters but of course, from time-to-time ASIO will discover undeclared intelligence officers who are operating in our country and through our own actions or asking government to help, people can and do leave this country as a result of being found out,” he had said.

Tuesday’s reports come a day after The Washington Post identified a Research and Analysis Wing officer for alleged involvement in an alleged plot to assassinate Sikh separatist leaders in North America.

The report published on Monday identified Vikram Yadav as the officer of India’s foreign intelligence agency allegedly involved in the alleged plot to assassinate Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in the United States and in the killing of Hardeep Singh Nijjar, another Sikh separatist leader, in Canada in June.

On Tuesday, India’s external affairs ministry described the report as “unwarranted and unsubstantiated imputations”.

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