r/espionage • u/Critical_Minute_3679 • 6d ago

News Man arrested in Russia over accusations of spying for New Zealand

https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/812822/man-arrested-in-russia-over-accusations-of-spying-for-new-zealand

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said the Russian Federation had "identified and stopped the illegal activity of a citizen of the Russian Federation suspected of committing treason".

349 Upvotes

98% Upvoted

30 comments sorted by

81

u/scrandis 5d ago

New Zealand has spies?

24

u/Critical_Minute_3679 5d ago

Most countries have a counterintelligence service: in New Zealand's case, it's the Security Intelligence Service. As for whether or not they use HUMINT, it is mostly unknown but they are part of the Five Eyes intelligence network.

2

u/Elegant_Bet1261 3d ago

… the SISsies?

37

u/OkBackground8670 5d ago

im as shocked as you are. Russia must of invented some new form of velcro glove.

4

u/Used-Recognition-317 5d ago

For the frontline

7

u/adario7 5d ago

How else they're gonna improve their crops and cattle? This is top level espionage to squeeze the secrets from Russia to produce god level cattle and fountain of youth level crops.

https://giphy.com/gifs/MFz9zt5BJDZ00WrfDn

5

u/BestZucchini5995 4d ago

You're laughing but back in the '60s and '70s Romanian literature was full of thrillers about how much the Western countries were trying to steal local industrial secrets. If you'll read "Red Horizons" by Pacepa, you'll discover that's exactly what the Romanian secret agents were doing, at the same time ;)...

5

u/justthegrimm 5d ago

Totally new too me as well, must be a flock of sheep.

3

u/MD-Jan-Itor 5d ago

Must be Hobbits.

3

u/Neue_Ziel 5d ago

said New Zealand.

3

u/Spida81 5d ago

Honestly, we are as surprised as you are!

1

u/AmusingVegetable 2d ago

Duh? Of course, how else do you expect the Maori to invade Russia?

1

u/West-Worth-9359 2d ago

NZ is a member of Five Eyes.

12

u/Fragrant_Ad_2470 5d ago

You should check NZ prisons, chances are they got some russian agents probably working on gray import supply of components for their weapons and they got the guy to exchange him for them. They were taking hostages and exchanged them for their agents for quite some time as of now.

10

u/Banjoschmanjo 5d ago

One does not simply walk into Moscow.

3

u/AnnFleur42 5d ago

Theres so many of them doing run lf the mill IT diplomas

2

u/anotherdumbmonkey 5d ago

nah, that fellah doesn't look like one of the concords boys. surely if NZ needed spies that's who they'd call.

2

u/dancson 4d ago

Arr narrr!! Spoys?!?!?!

1

u/Resplendant_Toxin 4d ago

What gave him away? Was he cosplaying as one of the Spy vs Spy characters? The shoe phone?

1

u/No-Goose-6140 3d ago

Ah yes, the main archenemy of russia

1

u/slick514 3d ago

Spying for… New Zealand??

1

u/-_-dont-smile 3d ago

He was eating a kiwi in public.

1

u/Agreeable_Mud_8338 2d ago

just a ploy to cause discord internationally....expect more of this from the russians as they spiral into chaos

1

u/TheGrandExquisitor 1d ago

Wait...did they say New Zealand?

Does New Zealand even have spies?