Welcome to Spy Age!
-
Intelligence wins a game! MI6 may seriously think about reactivating James Bond for his what he does best.
Russian spy 'admits working for intelligence service'
Juan Lazaro, one of the suspects in the Russian spy scandal has confessed to federal agents that he worked for Russia’s intelligence service, according to US prosecutors.
US authorities said in a court filing that Lazaro made a lengthy statement after his June 27 arrest in which he discussed some details of the operation.
Among other things, he admitted that “Juan Lazaro” was not his real name, that was not born in Uruguay, as he had long claimed, that his home in Yonkers had been paid for by Russian intelligence, and that his wife, the Peruvian journalist Vicky Pelaez, had passed letters to the “Service” on his behalf.
He also told investigators that even though he loved his son, “he would not violate his loyalty to the 'Service’ even for his son,” three assistant U.S. attorneys wrote in a court memo. They added that Lazaro also wouldn’t reveal his true name.
Federal prosectors also said that they had searched a safe-deposit box belonging to Richard and Cynthia Murphy, this week, and found eight unmarked envelopes, each stuffed with “apparently new $100 bills.”
The reports came amid claims Anna Chapman, the young Russian woman at the centre of "deep cover" spy ring allegations had been romantically involved with a rich businessman more than twice her age.
Mrs Chapman, 28, told friends she had been seeing Michael Bittan, 60, a New Jersey millionaire, after they met more than a year ago in a Manhattan nightclub popular with Russians.
"He was older but he clearly loves surrounding himself with beautiful women, mostly Russian, and since the spring Anna was in his inner circle," a member of the same party set told the New York Daily News.
Mrs Chapman, who moved to New York in February after living for in London for four years, could be jailed for five years if convicted of conspiracy to act as the agent of a foreign government.
Described by a prosecutor as a "practised deceiver", she has already been denied bail as a potential flight risk.
Five of the alleged spies were ordered held behind bars after their bail hearings were postponed
In Virginia, a bail hearing for Michael Zottoli, Patricia Mills, and Mikhail Semenko was put off until Friday at the request of lawyers who said they had new information.
In Boston, US Magistrate Judge Jennifer Boal ordered that Donald Heathfield and Tracey Foley remain in jail until a new hearing set for July 16, and held a closed-door hearing to make care arrangements for the couple's two sons, 16 and 20.
Meanwhile embarrassed Cypriot authorities searched for an 11th suspect after he vanished after being allowed to walk free on bail.
Police searched airports, ports and yacht marinas for Christopher Metsos, who is accused of being the agent responsible for supplying money to the spy network.
Officials fear he may have slipped into the breakaway northern part of Cyprus, a diplomatic problem zone as it is recognised only by Turkey.
Michael Farbiarz, an assistant US attorney, told a court that the evidence against the accused was "truly, truly overwhelming".
Prosecutors say the spy ring, some of whose members had been operating since the mid-1990s, had been instructed by the SVR, Russian intelligence, to become "Americanised" so that they could penetrate US "policy-making circles", providing information and recruiting sources.
IN THE wake of the spy ring arrests, more information is surfacing about the members of the undercover Russian network.
Anna Chapman, 28, moved to New York in February from Moscow. French reports said the spy with sultry looks was married to a French supermarket heir and they divorced in 2008.
The spy suspect 'adored the American way of life and took full advantage of it - for business and pleasure', the New York Post said yesterday.
She 'sidled up to power players while hobnobbing at society functions, charity events and book openings in slinky designer outfits' to collect information to be sent back to Moscow.
For pleasure, she liked to go clubbing, blogging and seeing the sights, the report said.
Chapman lived in an apartment a block from Wall Street and used online social networks, including LinkedIn and Facebook, to develop business contacts and to market her skills.Spying game proves that Countries do not believe in Forever friends. :)
Leave you with this Quote: The White House said Tuesday that it does not expect the arrests of 11 accused members of a Russian espionage ring to affect relations between Washington and Moscow... My Foot!
-
You know what we call them (Anna Chapman)? "Honeypots"
-
as exciting a network and plot as the cold war's cambridge five