Daring spies lift Russian secrets

Press, 6 April 1981, Page 8

Daring spies lift Russian secrets

NZPA London Two Britons acting as freelance secret agents slipped into Afghanistan three times — once to within 40kin of Kabul — to obtain highly-classified Soviet, arms sought by American military officials." the London "Sunday Times" has said. The newspaper identified them as Philip Sessarego. aged 29. and Sam Evans. Both are former soldiers: Mr Sessarego was with Britain's elite Special Air Service. The two told the "Sunday Times" that an Englishman “with a background in aviation” had contacted them in London “to collect bits and pieces” of Russian equipment. They showed the newspaper documents and photographs to support the story. Mr Sessarego was provided with a "shopping Ijst” of about two dozen pieces of Soviet hardware, as well as two cameras and $5OO in American dollars io outfit himself for a trip to Afghanistan. he told the “Sunday Times.” On July 5 lie went to

Islamabad with a Briton known io the men as Sir William Lindsay Hogg who was to act as the team's liason officer in Pakistan. (Pakistani authorities confirmed to the "Sunday Times” that the same man had visited Peshawar, on the. Afghan border, several times.)

Mr Sessarego said he was told to take notes on Soviet anti-guerrilla tactics but not to engage, in combat, according to the "Sunday Times.” As a result of three clandestine operations. the freelance agents produced a valuable haul ranging from samples of titanium metal used in Soviet helicopter gunships’ armour-plating, to the devastating soft-nosed bullet, fired by the new Ka-lashnikov-74 automatic rifle.

They also reportedly brought out an air-to-ground missile salvaged from a downed helicopter, a Goryunov sub-machine-gun, and a new type of grenade. "The Pakistani Government for months turned a blind eye to the team's activ-

ities. and has only now declared them persona non grata and expelled them from the country” the newspaper said. Meanwhile, in Peshawar, an Afghan guerrilla leader has said that three Soviet military advisers surrounded by a rebel force of some 2000 Afghans last week committed suicide by blowing themselves up in their tank. Hakim Muhammed Aryubi. a former diplomat turned leader of the National Islamic Front rebel group, said that he took part in the operation against a Soviet convoy by tribesmen in the Sikandar Khel valley of Paktia province. Mr Aryubi said heavy losses were inflicted on the convoy of 28 trucks and 12 armoured cars carrying Soviet advisers along with some Red Army and Afghan troops. The three unidentified ad-, visers blew up their T 55 tank with a hand-grenade “for fear of being tortured” if captured by Muslim rebels, he said.