Australia charges Russian-born couple with planning espionage for Moscow
Australian police arrested two Russian-born Australian citizens suspected of obtaining the country's military material to share it with Russian authorities, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) reported on July 12.
There has been an uptick in Russia-linked espionage cases across Europe in recent months, with suspected spies or saboteurs being arrested in the U.K., Poland, Germany, Greece, Austria, Latvia, Italy, Estonia, and other countries.
Igor Korolev, 62, and Kira Koroleva, 40, were reportedly detained at their home in the Brisbane suburb of Everton Park on July 11.
Each of the couple has been charged with one count of preparing for an espionage offense, which carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. This is the first time Australian authorities laid an espionage offense since the country passed a foreign interference law in 2018, ABC reported.
Koroleva is a private in the Australian Defense Force. According to the police, she visited Russia during her long-term leave and did not inform the command about it. While in Russia, Koroleva allegedly asked her husband to log into her work account and access material to send to her.
Whether the information was shared with Russian authorities is still a subject of the investigation.
The indictment alleged that Igor Korolev had ties with Russian intelligence officials.
The couple had been in Australia for more than 10 years before the alleged offending. They could face further charges as the investigation continues.
