Australia’s top intelligence agency has disrupted foreign government-backed plots to harm individuals on home soil, with ASIO Director-General Mike Burgess confirming three separate operations targeting dissidents and critical alliances. ‘We held grave fears for their lives,’ Burgess stated during a high-profile security briefing in Canberra.
In one alarming case, operatives attempted to lure a human rights activist to a third country for assassination. ASIO intervened to block travel, averting lethal consequences. Another scheme involved transnational efforts to silence Australian-based critics through physical attacks, requiring international intelligence cooperation to dismantle early-stage planning.
‘These foreign actors operate beyond our legal reach, but not beyond our operational capabilities,’
Burgess emphasized during his annual threat assessment speech. The spy chief also disclosed:
- A 12-year-old neo-Nazi’s U.S. mass shooting plan uncovered by ASIO cyber teams
- State-sponsored hackers targeting critical Australian and U.S infrastructure
- Espionage campaigns against nuclear submarine technology under AUKUS
Foreign intelligence services reportedly intensified efforts to compromise the AUKUS pact, seeking classified details about nuclear submarine deployments and advanced defense systems. ‘Even friendly nations pursue this intelligence aggressively,’ Burgess warned, highlighting vulnerabilities in multi-billion dollar security partnerships.
The revelations follow increased ASIO surveillance of cyber warfare tactics and extremist radicalization through social media platforms. Burgess confirmed Australian authorities collaborated with U.S counterparts to disable a foreign hacking collective’s global network access points, including nodes in Australia.
