2020 saw the expulsion of two Indian spies from Australia for attempting to “steal secrets.”

According to reports in the Australian media on Tuesday, Australia expelled two Indian spies in 2020 for allegedly attempting to “steal secrets” about confidential defense projects and airport security.

 

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) did not provide a figure, despite reports from The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald that two Indian spies were expelled.

Indian authorities did not immediately respond to claims in the Australian media.

“Indian spies were kicked out of Australia after being caught trying to steal secrets about sensitive defence projects and airport security, as well as classified information on Australia’s trade relationships,” according to a report by the ABC.

It also claimed that the so-called foreign “nest of spies” that the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) upended in 2020 had been carefully watching Indian residents of Australia and had formed intimate ties with both present and previous politicians.

The claims surfaced one day after an Indian RAW officer was identified by The Washington Post for reportedly hatching a plan to kill Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on US territory in the previous year.

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India stated on Tuesday that “unwarranted and unsubstantiated” allegations about a serious situation were made in a Washington Post piece.

According to the Washington Post article, two officials from the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) were kicked out of Australia in 2020.

According to the ABC, ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess first mentioned the espionage ring in his yearly danger assessment, which he gave in 2021. However, he omitted to name the nation that was responsible for the operation.

Burgess said in a March 2021 speech at ASIO’s Canberra headquarters that “the spies developed targeted relationships with current and former politicians, a foreign embassy, and a state police service,” according to the report.

“They kept an eye on the expatriate population in their nation.

They made an attempt to get access to sensitive data on Australia’s trading partnerships,” he said.

According to the ABC story, Burgess also described in detail how the “nest of spies” had effectively raised and hired a security clearance holder for the Australian government, giving him access to “sensitive details of defence technology.”