Federal police to blitz foreign interference in multicultural communities

Federal police are ramping up the fight against foreign interference operations in Australia’s multicultural communities, amid concerns the problem is both under-reported and widespread.

In a campaign that will launch on Monday, the federal police’s community liaison teams, which have previously worked on counter-terrorism campaigns, will meet community and faith leaders to raise awareness about the problem and urge people to report suspected foreign interference to police or community leaders.

The move comes after ASIO director-general Mike Burgess last week warned Australia was experiencing the highest level of foreign interference, espionage and terrorism in its history.

Burgess also revealed a so-called “hive of spies” had been disrupted and deported in the past 12 months, which The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald then revealed was a group of Russian spies who had posed as diplomats and were surveilled for more than 18 months before being deported.

AFP special investigations commander Stephen Nutt said foreign governments and their proxies were undertaking hostile activity in Australia and targeting everyone from government decision-makers to human rights activists, dissidents, religious and ethnic minorities and even journalists to silence criticism, monitor their activities, obtain information and promote the policies of foreign governments.

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Police believe foreign interference operations are not limited to the usual suspects of China, Russia and Iran either. They say people who have Indian, Vietnamese, Thai, Cambodian and Laotian backgrounds are also vulnerable to pressure from agents of foreign governments, as well as those from Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan.

Fact sheets in 30 languages will be published as part of the federal police’s outreach and a national security hotline – 1800 123 400 – is operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to take tips from the public.

“On a community level, foreign interference is defined as threats and intimidation directed, supervised or financed by foreign governments and targeted towards [culturally and linguistically diverse] communities in order to cause harm and impact on Australia’s multicultural way of life,” Nutt said.