Italian officer 'caught selling secrets to Russia'
BBC World Service News
March 31, 2021
7:00est
An Italian navy officer has been arrested after being caught in the act of handing secret documents to a Russian military official, police say. The men were stopped by military police on suspicion of serious crimes relating to espionage and state security. The Russian, who reportedly worked at the Russian embassy in Italy, is expected to be expelled.
What happened in Rome
The carabinieri del Ros special operations group swooped on the men in Rome on Tuesday evening "during a clandestine meeting between the two," a police statement said. They were "caught immediately after the transfer of a document by the Italian officer in exchange for a sum of money", it added. Italian media reported that the exchange had taken place in a car park and involved €5,000 (£4,250; $5,900) in cash. The Italian is described as being the captain of a frigate and the Russian officer's diplomatic status is currently being assessed... Italy's Corriere website reports that papers seized in the naval officer's flat suggest he may have passed on Nato secrets, thereby placing other countries' national security at risk.
... Police moved in following a lengthy operation by Italy's Aisi domestic intelligence agency. Italian media are describing the incident as the most serious since the Cold War.
More at link
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-56588506
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