Australia expelled two Indian intelligence operatives in 2020 as part of ‘nest of spies’, reports claim

Asio director general Mike Burgess had referred to expulsion of foreign operatives in 2021 speech but did not name country behind threat

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Australia reportedly expelled two Indian intelligence officers in 2020 after Asio alleged a “nest of spies” had sought to cultivate politicians, monitor diaspora communities, and obtain classified trade information and airport security protocols.

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that two officers from the Research and Analysis Wing, India’s foreign intelligence service, had been expelled from Australia in 2020. The newspaper reported the incident was one of “a series of clashes between RAW and western domestic security services.”