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The Sun
14 hours ago
- Politics
- The Sun
Spy chiefs probed ‘Russian double agent' at the heart of MI6 in huge 20-year global operation – and never caught ‘mole'
SPY chiefs probed a suspected "Russian double agent" at the heart of MI6 in a 20-year global operation. An investigation launched into the alleged mole, dubbed Operation Wedlock, sent surveillance officers around the world. 6 6 6 It included a team of over 30 MI5 officers, as reported by the Guardian, whose work spanned up to two decades. One on occasion, they were sent to the Middle East and sheltered in a CIA safe house. It is understood they were sent on the mission under terms that would have been illegal according to international law. Despite their work, MI5 were unable to conclude whether there had been a mole spying for Russia. A source told the Guardian: "We thought we had another Philby on our hands". Kim Philby was a prominent member of the notorious Cambridge Five, a ring of spies who passed information to the Soviet Union. With fascism plaguing Europe, Philby headed for Austria where he became active in helping the oppressed working class socialists. Alongside his wife, Jewish socialist Litzi Friedmann, the couple helped the anti-fascist cause in Vienna but later fled to London to escape the Nazis. Philby's life changed when he was introduced to a resident Soviet agent, code-named "Otto", at Regents Park. Along with four other Cambridge students, they were persuaded to start double lives as spies for the Soviets. Through the help of the KGB they worked their way into government jobs and passed on state secrets to the Russians. Philby was so good at his job he even secured a high-level job with MI6. In 1949 he was sent to Washington where be became a liaison intelligence officer 'combating Soviet subversion in Western Europe'. However, after two members of the Cambridge Five defected, suspicion grew over Philby and he resigned from the Foreign Office. Cleared of treason allegations, MI6 posted him to Beirut, where he worked as a correspondent for The Observer. In 1962, his cover was blown during a conversation with a MI5 officer at a party and he later made a 'sham' confession to be granted immunity. A year later a KGB guide smuggled him into Russia where he lived out the remainder of his life and was treated as a 'hero'. MI6 is the intelligence agency which supplies the Government with foreign intelligence (as opposed to MI5 which deals with domestic security threats). Its existence was not formally acknowledged until 1994. It is regarded as one of the best spy agencies in the world. Describing its work on its official website, the agency says: 'Our mission is to provide Her Majesty's Government with a global covert capability. 'We collect secret intelligence and mount operations overseas to prevent and detect serious crime, and promote and defend the national security and economic wellbeing of the United Kingdom.' Meanwhile, MI5 is widely understood to focus its intelligence efforts inside the UK but that isn't always the case. With threats to Britain's security often coming from abroad, the agency says it does "work outside the UK where it's necessary to protect the UK's national security or to counter security threats". It describes itself as a "publicly accountable civilian intelligence organisation", not a "secret police force", as it does not have the power to arrest people. Reporting to the Home Office, it was formed in 1909 under British army captain Vernon Kell to identify and counteract German spies in the country, according to the Britannica. The MI5 probe into an alleged mole was sparked in the 1990s and continued to at least 2015. It was launched after a tip off from the CIA in America, where they believed a British intelligence officer was working for Russia. Vladimir Putin was in charge of the FSB, Russia's secret intelligence service, at one point in the investigation. A source said: '[We were told] the target was a Russian spy. The US believed he was leaking information to the Russians. "He was suspect 1A. The job was taken more seriously than any other [MI5] was involved in. Wedlock eclipsed them all.' As reported by the Guardian, it has been revealed the UK believed they had identified the alleged spy. MI5 specialists were put in charge of tracking him down, although they did not operate from the Westminster HQ. The mission was so top secret, one insider claimed the officer in charge was briefed about the task in a church. Instead, the team were based in Wandsworth, south London, which was near an MI6 base. The officers were told the suspected mole held a senior role at MI6 and listening devices were planted inside his home, as well as secret cameras. He was tracked across the world, with officers travelling as far as Asia and the Middle East. The agents were given authentic passports, but fake names, and told they would be "on their own" if caught. A source also claimed the suspect was not thought to have been working by himself, but aided by two other people. The insider added how Wedlock was a 'highly unusual operation, the longest in recent memory and probably the most expensive'. 'MI5 never got the conclusive proof it was looking for,' they added, and MI6 "still [potentially] has a mole to find". 6 6 6
Sky News
02-04-2025
- Sky News
Lemon for invisible ink, spy's briefcase and IRA mortar bomb on display in unique MI5 exhibition
A passport belonging to one of the Cambridge spies, a 110-year-old lemon used for invisible ink and a letter about the Queen's response to news of a Soviet agent in Buckingham Palace are among MI5 artefacts on display in a "groundbreaking" new exhibition. MI5: Official Secrets features declassified documents alongside objects from the agency's private collection - many of which have never been seen before. It marks the first time the intelligence agency has ever collaborated to display its files to the public. A leather briefcase left at London's Reform Club by Cambridge spy Guy Burgess as he fled to Moscow in 1951 is one of the items on display. His British passport is also on show for the first time. Mr Burgess was a British diplomat and Soviet double agent during the Second World War and the early Cold War period. He was a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring and fled to Moscow with fellow traitor Donald Maclean due to fears of being uncovered. Another member of the ring was the late Queen's art adviser, Anthony Blunt. Included in the exhibition is a note confirming that her private secretary had told her about Blunt's treachery. It says the Queen reacted "very calmly and without surprise". None of the Cambridge Five were ever prosecuted. A 110-year-old lemon is another of the objects displayed and was a key piece of evidence used against German spy Karl Muller, who was executed by firing squad at the Tower of London in 1915. Muller used lemon juice as invisible ink to inform on British troop movements. A warm iron was passed over a letter to reveal the secret messages. The lemon was found in his overcoat when he was arrested. Other items loaned include MI5's first camera, a key to the Communist Party of Great Britain's Westminster branch office, and a Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) mortar bomb. Mark Dunton, principal records specialist at the National Archives, said the exhibition is "genuinely groundbreaking". "MI5 used to really operate in secret, for so many years it was just referred to as PO Box 500 - really anonymous. "But once we got into the 1990s, it became more and more of an open organisation - the identity of the director general was revealed in 1992 publicly, and in 1997, MI5 began transferring files to the National Archives."
Yahoo
01-04-2025
- Yahoo
MI5 reveals never-before-seen spy secrets in National Archives Exhibition
A briefcase left behind by infamous Cambridge spy Guy Burgess as he fled to Moscow in 1951 is among never-before-seen MI5 artefacts going on display at The National Archives in Kew, South-West London. The MI5: Official Secrets exhibition, which features objects from MI5's private collection alongside declassified documents, marks the first time the intelligence agency has ever collaborated to display its files to the public. Director General of MI5, Sir Ken McCallum, said the exhibition is part of the Security Service's 'ongoing commitment to being open wherever we can'. Among the highlights is a leather briefcase, inscribed with initials and left at the Reform Club in London by Cambridge spy Guy Burgess as he fled to Moscow in May 1951. His British passport has also been displayed for the first time. Burgess was a British diplomat and Soviet double agent during the Second World War and the early Cold War period. He was a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring and fled to Moscow with fellow spy Donald Maclean in 1951 due to fears of being discovered. None of the Cambridge Five were ever prosecuted for spying. Another key exhibit is a 110-year-old lemon used as evidence against German spy Karl Muller. Muller used lemon juice as invisible ink to inform on British troop movements. A warm iron was passed over a letter to reveal the secret messages. When he was arrested, the lemon was found in his overcoat. He was executed by firing squad at the Tower of London in 1915. Speaking at a preview of the exhibition, the MI5 Director General said: 'Having worked for MI5 for nearly 30 years I can tell you that the reality of our work is often different from fiction. Whether that fiction is George Smiley or Jackson Lamb. 'MI5 life is about ordinary human beings together doing extraordinary things to keep our country safe. Some of their stories and their perspective comes through in this exhibition. 'And while much of our work must remain secret, what you will see today reflects our ongoing commitment to being open wherever we can. And not just about our glorious moments.' 'Public trust and confidence can be even more powerfully understood when we are able to be open about things that didn't go well', Sir Ken added. The display also includes a note confirming that Queen Elizabeth II's private secretary had spoken to the Queen about Anthony Blunt, the Monarch's art advisor, being a Soviet agent. The note mentions how the Queen reacted 'very calmly and without surprise'. In total, 20 items were loaned, including MI5's first camera and a key to the Communist Party of Great Britain's Westminster branch office. It includes iems dating from the foundation of MI5 in 1909 to modern-day artefacts such as a Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) mortar bomb and reconstruction of a bomb made from an instant camera and bottle. Mark Dunton, historian and curator of MI5: Official Secret, said: 'We were aware how interested the public are in the whole world of espionage. 'We suggested (the exhibition) first but MI5 thought about it and they thought 'wow yes this would be a good thing'. 'In terms of openness, it's all about being open about what they can, which I think is a really, really good thing.' MI5: Official Secrets is running from April 5 until September 28 at The National Archives in Kew, London. Admission is free.
The Independent
01-04-2025
- The Independent
Classified files and MI5 spy artefacts to be exhibited for the first time
A briefcase abandoned by infamous Cambridge spy Guy Burgess as he fled to Moscow in 1951 is among the never-before-seen MI5 artefacts going on display at The National Archives in Kew, south-west London. The exhibition "MI5: Official Secrets" marks an unprecedented collaboration between the intelligence agency and The National Archives, offering the public a first-ever glimpse into MI5's classified files and private collection. MI5 Director General Sir Ken McCallum said the exhibition reflects the Security Service's "ongoing commitment to being open wherever we can." Among the key items on display is Burgess's leather briefcase, embossed with his initials and left behind at London's Reform Club as he made his escape to Moscow in May 1951. Burgess's British passport is also being exhibited for the first time. Burgess was a British diplomat and Soviet double agent during the Second World War and the early Cold War period. He was a member of the Cambridge Five spy ring and fled to Moscow with fellow spy Donald Maclean in 1951 due to fears of being discovered. None of the Cambridge Five were ever prosecuted for spying. Another key exhibit is a 110-year-old lemon used as evidence against German spy Karl Muller. Muller used lemon juice as invisible ink to inform on British troop movements. A warm iron was passed over a letter to reveal the secret messages. When he was arrested, the lemon was found in his overcoat. He was executed by firing squad at the Tower of London in 1915. Speaking at a preview of the exhibition, the MI5 Director General said: 'Having worked for MI5 for nearly 30 years I can tell you that the reality of our work is often different from fiction. Whether that fiction is George Smiley or Jackson Lamb. 'MI5 life is about ordinary human beings together doing extraordinary things to keep our country safe. Some of their stories and their perspective comes through in this exhibition. 'And while much of our work must remain secret, what you will see today reflects our ongoing commitment to being open wherever we can. And not just about our glorious moments.' 'Public trust and confidence can be even more powerfully understood when we are able to be open about things that didn't go well', Sir Ken added. The display also includes a note confirming that Queen Elizabeth II's private secretary had spoken to the Queen about Anthony Blunt, the Monarch's art advisor, being a Soviet agent. The note mentions how the Queen reacted 'very calmly and without surprise'. In total, 20 items were loaned, including MI5's first camera and a key to the Communist Party of Great Britain's Westminster branch office. It includes items dating from the foundation of MI5 in 1909 to modern-day artefacts such as a Provisional Irish Republican Army (PIRA) mortar bomb and reconstruction of a bomb made from an instant camera and bottle. Mark Dunton, historian and curator of MI5: Official Secret, said: 'We were aware how interested the public are in the whole world of espionage. 'We suggested (the exhibition) first but MI5 thought about it and they thought 'wow yes this would be a good thing'. 'In terms of openness, it's all about being open about what they can, which I think is a really, really good thing.'
