Far from modern cyber espionage or electronic surveillance, the plot smacks of the Cold War, with briefcases exchanged and documents secretly sold to Russians by a Briton working as a guard at the UK embassy in Germany. The suspect was arrested on Wednesday August 11 by German authorities in Potsdam, southwest of Berlin.
David S., 57, is suspected, according to the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office, of having “Worked for a foreign secret service since at least November 2020”. He would have transferred ” at least one time “ documents “Obtained in the course of his professional activities from a representative of the Russian secret services” in exchange “Of an unknown amount of money”. The arrest follows a joint investigation by British and German authorities. The home and office of David S. were searched.
Since the announcement of the crackdown, some elements have started to leak. The Briton was employed locally and was not part of the diplomatic service. Cressida Dick, who runs Scotland Yard, told LBC radio on Thursday that her services were investigating ” for many months “ on this case. “It’s a good example of international work. We worked closely with the German authorities, the BKA [le parquet allemand], prosecutors and of course the UK government. “
Embassy security
“It’s a reminder that the Russians, in addition to their strong investment in cyber espionage, have never abandoned old techniques, analysis Peter Ricketts, former security adviser to ex-Prime Minister David Cameron and now a member of the House of Lords. In the past, they used ideology to convince to transfer secrets. Today they have to pay. “
Mr. Ricketts, however, relativizes the scale of the case, considering that it is unlikely that this man, a simple security officer, had access to documents classified confidential. “You have to put things in perspective. It’s not a major data breach, as it may have been with Edward Snowden, for example. “ Rather, the concern revolves around the security of the UK embassy itself. The guard could have revealed the protective measures of the building, for example.
David Clark, who was an adviser to former Labor Foreign Secretary Robin Cook in the early 2000s, does not share this reassuring opinion. “It would be wrong to think that he had no access just because he was at the bottom of the hierarchy, he explains to Guardian. If you can get to the person who shreds the documents or you can recruit the person who empties the trash, you can get the documents. “
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