Australia has charged two Australian citizens of Russian origin with conspiracy to commit espionage after allegedly receiving military information they planned to hand over to Russian authorities.
The married couple had been in Australia for more than 10 years and were arrested on Thursday at their home in Everton Park, a northern suburb of Brisbane, according to the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO).
The 40-year-old, of Russian origin, was a private soldier who worked as an information systems technician with the Australian Defense Force (ADF) for several years, the agencies said at a joint press conference on Friday.
She became an Australian citizen in 2016, and her Russian-born husband, 62, a self-employed worker, received Australian citizenship in 2020, they added, CNN reports.
“The AFP will allege that individuals worked together to access Australian Defense Force material that related to Australia’s national security interests,” AFP commissioner Reece Kershaw said.
The couple appeared in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on Friday and were remanded in custody to appear in court on September 20.
