Politico: Espionage in Europe is Changing - How New Agents are Being Recruited

Espionage in Europe is taking on a new form, with foreign powers recruiting European citizens to carry out acts of sabotage. According to Dutch intelligence services, Russia and Iran are recruiting “ordinary people” via the internet, offering money or other rewards to carry out espionage missions. This practice, dubbed “crime as a service,” is part of a broader context of hybrid attacks primarily attributed to Russia, aimed at destabilizing Europe. Unlike in the past, when operations were carried out by trained agents, more and more citizens are becoming involved today. Platforms like Telegram are used as recruitment tools, and recently two 17-year-olds were arrested in the Netherlands accused of mapping sensitive facilities on the instructions of a Russian hacker group. Targets included the Canadian embassy and Europol offices. The new trend makes the work of the authorities more difficult, as suspects do not stand out easily from the general population. The increase in the intensity and scale of these actions following the start of the war in Ukraine is causing concern among intelligence services.