10 Russian agents in embassy

Press, 7 August 1976, Page 1

10 Russian agents in embassy

PA Wellington The Soviet Union maintains an intelligence staff of about 10 persons in Wellington, according to information made public yesterday in the report on the work of the Security Intelligence Sen ice prepared by the Chief Ombudsman (Sir Guy Powles). Sir Guy, in his report tabled in Parliament, said the S.I.S. estimated that the number of intelligence officers among Soviet diplomatic staff was seldom below 50 per cent. The Russians now maintain a total staff of 22, embracing diplomatic, consular, technical, and administrative sections, at their embassy in Wellington. In addition, the Ambassador has a personal staff of two. Sir Guy's report quoted extracts from an S.I.S. statement which said that the proportion of intelligence agents in the embassy would be higher than 50 per cent if the calculation was applied only to those with diplomatic status.

There are 10 staff members at the Russian Embassy in Wellington who are listed in the official handbook of diplomatic representatives stationed in Wellington. "It is a regrettable but inescapable fact that the era of international detente has seen little, if any. diminution m the scale of the K.G.B. and the Soviet military intelligence agency (G.R.U.),” his report said "Nor has there been any indication that their willingness to undertake activities hostile to the interests of a number of countries, including New Zealand, has diminished. “The Soviet intelligence services are very large. Their resources are. in fact, in excess of those available to a country like New Zealand to counter them Their personnel ate highlv trained.” Sir Guy said that the threat posed to New Zealand by Soviet intelligence was only perceived by the public, and then not fully, when Soviet activities of the kind detected in the Sutch case became known. Nevertheless, the threat was “a real and continuing one.” (Full report. P. 2)