ASIO boss warns espionage is more prevalent than ‘at any time in Australia’s history’

Two foreign government plots targeting dissidents living in Australia have been foiled by our domestic spy agency.

In one instance, ASIO shut down a plan to lure a person offshore so they could be “disposed of”.

ASIO’s Director-General of Security, Mike Burgess, warns foreign intelligence services are more active here than ever before.

Mr Burgess said “more Australians are being targeted for espionage and foreign interference than at any time in Australia’s history”.

Former intelligence officer Clive Williams, who now works for the Centre for Military and Security Law at ANU, says the increase in the detection of foreign interference and espionage may in part be due to a shift towards counter-espionage rather than counter-terrorism.

“Perhaps an element of that is picking up on what has been happening anyway, but of course I think the changing environment with social media and so on creates new vulnerabilities,” he told Ross and Russel.

Press PLAY below to hear what Mr Williams thinks of the warning from the ASIO boss