Australia quietly expels major Russian spy ring, report says

Australia has quietly expelled a large Russian spy ring whose members were posing as diplomats, a newspaper reported on Friday after Australia's main security agency revealed a major counter-espionage success.

The spy ring comprised purported embassy and consular staff as well as other operatives using deep-cover identities, The Sydney Morning Herald reported, citing unnamed sources with knowledge of the operation.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation, the nation’s main domestic spy agency, revealed on Tuesday it had “detected and disrupted a major spy network”. ASIO has not named the country responsible.

ASIO’s secretary-general of security Mike Burgess described the network as a “hive” of spies because it was bigger and more dangerous than a “nest” of spies previously disrupted. Precise numbers have not been reported.

“Proxies and agents were recruited as part of a wider network. Among other malicious activities, they wanted to steal sensitive information,” Burgess said in ASIO’s annual report on threats posed to Australia.

“It was obvious to us that the spies were highly trained because they used sophisticated tradecraft to disguise their activities,” Burgess added.

ASIO “removed them from this country, privately and professionally”, he said.

The Russian spies were quietly forced out of Australia over the past six months with their visas not renewed or cancelled, the newspaper reported.

There were concerns that publicly expelling the spies could lead to retaliation against diplomats and other Australians living in Russia.

The Russian Embassy in Australia did not respond to a request for comment on Friday.

ASIO's media office on Friday declined to comment on whether the network was Russian.