Ten Alleged Russian Spies Arrested In U.S.

Mmmm... Russians, using Irish names? Did they have Irish passports or documents too I wonder?
Also, Russian doesn't necessarily mean they were doing anything for Russia. I can't help thinking about another country that supplies it's agents with stolen passports from Ireland, amongst other places, and has been caught spying in America many times over in the past and who, just recently, used a whole bunch of stolen documents to cover a hit team in a foreign land.

Putting this here for cross reference - it just might possibly be related:

Russian Radio Signal UVB-76 has stopped transmitting.. UH-OH

Originally posted by bestideayet
Ok so does anyone remotely think that this radio signal has something to do with the Russian spies caught today?
From the article:

The suspects are accused of using short-wave radios to send and receive "radiograms" - coded bursts of data - to Moscow Centre. US agents believe they are referred to as "RG"s by the alleged spies.

Decoded electronic messages sent using steganography include one from Moscow Centre in 2009 saying: "Pls, make sure your radioequipment [sic] for RG rcptn is in order. We plan to send a couple of test Rgs

news.bbc.co.uk...

I find it very alarming that these spies were on a mission to be in ample position to change US-policy making procedures. What I find even more alarming, is just how vague that statement is. WHICH POLICIES... Something smells very wrong here. It seems to be all coming together for me; why the country is how it is.

Here is an interesting al-Jazeera vid on the subject...

"Steganography" you gotta love it...

I think this is all to do with Iran, we know already that one of the targets was US policy towards Iran and Nuclear policy. Interestingly Russia are heavily invested in the Iranian nuclear industry, America is becoming increasingly hostile towards Iran. In saying that however I wonder what they have been doing all these years, and how much then found out.

This is a fascinating story. I am reading the indictment documents just now, in some parts its like reading a movie script. Lots of stories of secret meeting, cover communications and lots of references to other espionage activity.

"Also, Russian doesn't necessarily mean they were doing anything for Russia. I can't help thinking about another country that supplies it's agents with stolen passports from Ireland, amongst other places, and has been caught spying in America many times over in the past and who, just recently, used a whole bunch of stolen documents to cover a hit team in a foreign land."

If the above is true, expect those caught to be immediately released.

Yeah, the old times die hard.

There was a report on PBS news, I believe yesterday.

They had a guest on there who alleges that Russian spying has SURPASSED the spying activities form the Cold War.

Russia feels resurgent and wants to be seen as a superpower that has to be reckoned with.

It doesn't seem these spies had any access to sensitive information, they probably would have been detained if they had.

The Feds probably were probably feeding them info to find their 'dropbox' or contact. Once they got this info, they moved in.

reply to post by SphinxMontreal


From what i have read so far of the “complaint documents” they are most definitely Russian.

Another update to the Russian spy ring arrests. The 11th spy, Robert Metsos, was arrested on an international warrant in Cyprus but was release on bail awaiting an extradition hearing.

11th Russian Spy Ring Suspect Arrested, Released

A man wanted by the FBI for his role in a Russian spy ring working within the United States was arrested Tuesday morning on the island of Cyrpus and then released on bail.

It says he was on his way to Budapest, Hungary when he was stopped and arrested by Cypriot authorities at Larnarca Airport. Could this guy be a handler or ringleader of this spy ring? What was he planning on doing in Budapest? Perhaps, meeting with other Russian intelligence assets to secure his safe transit to Russia? Could he be their handler or middle man when it comes to communications and support from Moscow?

Christopher Metsos was surreptitiously handed the money by a Russian official as the two swapped nearly identical orange bags while passing each other on a staircase at a commuter train station in New York.

After giving some of the money to one of the defendants, Metsos drove north and stopped his car near Wurtsboro, N.Y. Using data from a GPS system that had been secretly installed in his car, agents went to the site and found a partially-buried brown beer bottle. They dug down about five inches and discovered a package wrapped in duct tape, which they photographed and then reburied.

Two years later, video surveillance caught two of the defendants digging up the package.

Now that this guy is free on bail, it would not be much of a stretch if he disappears and we never hear of him again. The article mentions he surrender his travel documents before posting bail and is order to check in with law enforcement daily. These types are experts in document forgery, disguise, and evasive maneuvers. We will have to wait and see what becomes of Mr. Metsos pending his extradition to the United States?

[edit on 29-6-2010 by Jakes51]

Why is this info released to the public ?
And why now ?

answer these questions, and we may see the future..

Apparently, these spies where like the keystone cops of the espionage world.

Although you really never know what's really going on, do you?

Check it out: No James Bonds

I kind of like what Michael Savage had to say about this story.

Why are the Russians wasting all that money on a spy network? We've got a stone cold Marxist-Leninist in the white house. All Putin needs to do is get him on the phone. He's giving away our nuclear capabilities anyway.

Some things I find interesting:

They were accused of collecting information ... seeking background on people who applied for jobs at the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to criminal complaints filed in a U.S. court. Source

Gathering Intel on those applying for CIA positions. Counterespionage. Looking for those who may flip for a buck or two.

I also heard today on the news that one of the spy couples had children once they were here in the states. Now the government has to decide what to do with them.

Also:

Oleg Gordievsky, a former deputy head of the KGB in London who defected in 1985, said Russia probably has about 50 deep-cover couples spying inside the United States.
Source

Interesting they are using couples. Couple are easier to emerge into American society I suppose.

Haha, everything in this thread was interesting. Makes me wish I was a secret agent. Maybe, I'll start my own secret intelligence agency. Anyone want to join? We can exchange backpacks in precarious places.

If these 10-11 people were wasting a bunch of Russia's money, how much money did we waste following them around everyday for years? You know it is more than Russia did.

Originally posted by VonDutch
Why is this info released to the public ?
And why now ?

answer these questions, and we may see the future..

I to have wondered the exact same thing.. considering this current headline for a UK national paper.

Russian Spies at Cold War Levels

"The number of Russian intelligence officers in London is at the same level as in Soviet times", MI5 says on its website. It does not say how many there are but counter-intelligence officers have told the Guardian that 30 agents are operating out of the Russian embassy and trade mission in London

Everyone seems to be getting in on the act, I wonder what they are trying to sell us now..

Varied lives of the spies. More info on the lives these spies lived here in the US.

Emerging details on the alleged Russian spy ring show that some suspects were living mundane suburban family lives. But others, including Chapman, were operating as glamorous single partygoers.

The other suspects apparently lived more ordinary lives

Anna Chapman. I wonder how much of her FaceBook page reveals stuff. Hmmmm

Though I'm sure agencies have thoroughly scanned it. I bet she used it to pass on some info. Never know who is a spy now. They look so unassuming

[edit on 29-6-2010 by skirts and daggers]

FBI court complaint regarding the "spies" and Here

These are the actual court documents files yesterday on the "alleged" spies.
Lots of interesting stuff in them


[edit on 29-6-2010 by skirts and daggers]

reply to post by OpenSecret

With our attention fixated on N. Korea and the Middle East, now was the perfect opportunity to slip some spies in.

Actually, these spies were deep cover and have been in the United States for a very long time. They were not just "slipped in". I suspect that there are literally hundreds of these deep cover agents in the United States. Some may very well be your neighbors. The Murphys bought their NJ house in the 1990's, and Mr. Murphy was a stay-at-home dad, who took his kids to the bus stop every day.

Please post your thoughts in this earlier Breaking Political News thread:
www.abovetopsecret.com...

Closed.