Title: The Rock That Spied...
Description: (Not referring to the actor/wrestler.)
Description: (Not referring to the actor/wrestler.)
Adolf Chiang - January 24, 2006 08:17 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
 Between a rock and a spy case Russians accuse Brits of espionage in Moscow park Say secrets passed via transmitter inside fake stone Jan. 24, 2006. 01:00 AM [/u][u]MICHAEL MAINVILLE SPECIAL TO THE STAR MOSCOW—Russia's intelligence service claims to have uncovered a British spy ring that used a James Bond-style communications device hidden in a hollowed-out rock to gather secret information. The FSB security service yesterday confirmed allegations made in a state television program that four British embassy employees had used the device, hidden in a park on the outskirts of Moscow, as a high-tech version of a traditional dead drop in which agents anonymously deliver and retrieve information. The FSB also alleged the British spies had financed non-governmental organizations in Russia, including prominent human rights groups. But NGO representatives accused the government of manufacturing the link as part of a wider campaign to curb the activities of human rights groups and other civic organizations. "We caught them red-handed in the process of contacting their agents here and obtained evidence that they are financing a number of non-governmental organizations," FSB chief spokesman Sergei Ignatchenko told ITAR-Tass news agency. "We are investigating what the money was being spent on." The British government rejected "any allegation of improper conduct in our dealing with Russian NGOs." Ignatchenko said the situation would be resolved "at a political level," indicating the diplomats could be expelled. State-run Rossiya television broke the story Sunday night with footage showing British embassy staff allegedly using the communications device. "At first we thought it was a normal, typical secret drop-off point camouflaged under a stone. However, later when our specialists carried out their investigation, it became clear that the stone contained an electric device," an unnamed FSB officer told Rossiya. "This was absolutely new spy technology." The report said Russian informants would communicate with British handlers by passing near the stone and transmitting classified information from personal palm computers. Rossiya aired grainy black-and-white footage — which they said was from a hidden FSB camera — of the alleged spies approaching the rock on various days last autumn. In one case it appeared to malfunction, with an alleged spy approaching the stone from various directions with a personal computer before picking it up. Other footage showed another alleged spy walking off with the stone. The FSB says it has confiscated a second fake rock and arrested a Russian who has confessed to spying for the British. The British embassy refused to comment on the case and the whereabouts of the four staff members were unknown. The four diplomats allegedly involved in the spy ring were Marc Doe, a first secretary in the political section of the embassy, Paul Crompton, Christopher Peart and Andrew Fleming. Rossiya also showed copies of documents allegedly proving Britain transferred money to Russian NGOs, including $41,000 (U.S.) last October to the Moscow Helsinki Group, a leading human rights organization and frequent critic of President Vladimir Putin. The document had been signed by a member of the alleged spy ring. The group's head, Lyudmila Alexeyeva, said the document was a fabrication and accused the authorities of seeking a pretext to continue its crackdown on NGOs. She said the last time her organization received British funding was for a study of the Russian prison system in 2004. "They are preparing the public for the closure of well-known, respected organizations," she said. "They need first to defame and discredit them so that society will not protest when they are shut down." Russian NGOs have been under increasing pressure as the Kremlin has moved to assert control over one of the few areas of public life still outside its influence. A controversial new law that curbs their operations was signed by Putin this month. FSB chief Nikolai Patrushev has accused foreign intelligence agencies of using NGOs to support revolutionary movements similar to those that overthrew pro-Moscow governments in Ukraine and Georgia.  |
Espionage tools hidden inside mundane objects is nothing new, but the rock is so original!
the oob - January 24, 2006 08:19 AM (GMT)
Tony Montana - January 24, 2006 09:27 AM (GMT)
The FSB guy who saw the British agent walking off with the rock must have been like "ROFL."