Latest news with #foreignInterference
News.com.au
5 days ago
- Politics
- News.com.au
Chinese interference the new norm for Australia, expert warns
China will only continue ramping up secretive efforts to advance its domestic and international agenda in Australia this century despite the Albanese government's attempts to normalise relations, a leading national security expert says. The assessment comes a day after the Australian Federal Police charged a Chinese national with 'reckless foreign interference' in Canberra. The woman, a permanent resident of Australia, is accused of covertly collecting information about the Canberra branch of a Buddhist association called Guan Yin Citta on behalf of China's Public Security Bureau. The Guan Yin Citta association is banned in China. Chris Taylor of the Australian Strategic Policy Institute (ASPI) told NewsWire it reflects 'the reality of espionage and foreign interference directed against Australia'. 'It's an actual, real thing – it exists,' Mr Taylor said. Pointing to an espionage report released by Australia's domestic intelligence agency, he said there was 'a clear intensification of foreign intelligence interest in Australia'. 'Australia is paying a lot more attention to these issues than it may have in the past, not so much at the governmental level … but at a public level too,' Mr Taylor said. 'The messaging that's gone out from government about espionage, about foreign interference, over the last couple of years means that people in the community are more alive to it as a potential issue.' The other factor is 'the big picture, strategic changes that are occurring'. 'The fact that international politics, international power, is concentrating in the Indo-Pacific, concentrating in East Asia, means that it's no surprise that Australia's moved to the front lines of that contest in a way that we really weren't a couple of decades ago.' As for why Beijing would target a Buddhist group in the Australian capital, Mr Taylor said it was about keeping its diaspora in line abroad. This is not new for China. Analysts have long warned of Chinese Communist Party (CCP) influence suppressing free speech on university campuses, with students dobbing in fellow students who voice views that rub Beijing up the wrong way. 'For a lot of authoritarian regimes, they have an abiding interest in what they see as their nationals overseas, whether that's students, whether that's members of diaspora communities,' Mr Taylor said. 'So that kind of foreign intelligence activity ends up bounding that objective. 'It's actually not so much how we might imagine classical espionage directed towards the secrets of the Australian state. 'It's directed towards finding out what those communities are doing and trying to influence what those communities are doing, in a kind of focus on the interests of a regime, rather than the interests of a foreign country as such.' '21st century for Australia' Foreign interference was not among the issues Anthony Albanese broached with reporters on his lengthy state visit to China last month. Instead, the Prime Minister opted for less touchy topics, such as cash-splashing Chinese holiday-makers pumping billions into Australia's thirsty tourism sector. His hosts were also eager to spruik the potential gains of deepening economic ties amid global turmoil driven by Donald Trump's tariffs. Xi Jinping talked of 'unswervingly' pursuing deeper Sino-Australian co-operation regardless of 'how the international landscape may evolve' when he met Mr Albanese. The message was in line with Mr Albanese's own words as he met with business leaders and CCP top brass, championing Australia's trade and research offerings in Shanghai, Beijing and Chengdu. While he often repeated his mantra of working with Beijing 'where we can' and disagreeing 'where we must', he made clear he saw China as key to Australia's economic future. Foreign Minister Penny Wong on Tuesday was hesitant to say if news of the suspected Chinese agent in Canberra would harm that relationship, but vowed the Albanese government 'will safeguard our democracy'. 'Our democracy is about who we are,' Senator Wong told the ABC. 'And that means we will stand together against any foreign interference. 'We have strong frameworks in place. 'We will not tolerate collectively or as a government, Australians being harassed or surveilled. We will continue to safeguard the democracy.' On relations with Beijing, she said 'dialogue matters'. 'Dialogue is important. Dialogue enables us to manage difference but it doesn't eliminate it,' Senator Wong said. Echoing Australia's chief diplomat, Mr Taylor said it was just a reality that China would spy and meddle in Australia, no matter how 'incongruous' with what Beijing and Canberra say. 'We're being realistic that countries spy on each other, that China and Australia's interests security interests will differ,' he said. 'This is the 21st Century for Australia. 'It's dealing with these incongruities. 'It's dealing with living in a region that has become this increasingly contested space.' He added that 'we shouldn't be we should any less aggrieved, but we should be probably less surprised that people are engaged in espionage against us.'
Russia Today
30-07-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU nation summons UK envoy over ‘vote meddling'
Slovakia's government has summoned the British ambassador as diplomatic tensions escalate after Prime Minister Robert Fico accused the UK of meddling in the country's 2023 parliamentary elections. Speaking in Bratislava on Tuesday, Fico claimed that the UK authorities had supported groups attempting to sway the vote that returned him to office. 'This is a deliberate and intentional action by a foreign power, which is our NATO ally, in cooperation with some Slovak influencers and journalists, aimed at influencing the 2023 elections,' he said. Fico's remarks followed a report by Declassified UK, which said the British Foreign Office had signed a £10 million ($13.3 million) contract with a media agency in 2021 to support digital influencers. The campaign reportedly aimed to boost youth voter engagement in EU member states, including Slovakia. The Foreign Office rejected the accusations as 'completely untrue,' according to a statement released through its embassy in Bratislava. The statement emphasized that the UK's efforts was aimed 'at encouraging young people to take part in democratic processes in their countries by participating in elections – regardless of their political affiliation or preferences.' According to Slovak media, the British envoy will be asked for an explanation about whether the UK paid activists to influence the election. Fico said Bratislava could take further steps depending on the outcome of the meeting. Fico's party, Smer, won the 2023 election over the pro-EU Progressive Slovakia party, campaigning against several EU policies and military aid to Ukraine. Fico survived an assassination attempt last year by a pro-Ukraine activist who disagreed with his opposition to arming Kiev. Fico has continued to maintain ties with Moscow, including holding talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin on energy cooperation and the Ukraine conflict.
News.com.au
22-07-2025
- Politics
- News.com.au
Mystery behind fake cop cars after another man is allegedly caught impersonating Chinese police
Fake 'Chinese police' cars have continued appearing in Aussie cities in recent years, leaving locals confused as to what's going on. The phenomenon has sparked fears of foreign interference and an attempt by the Chinese government to exert influence over members of the Chinese Australian community. But it remains unclear if the owners of the vehicles are part of a co-ordinated effort, or simply overeager supporters of Chinese authorities. 'No one can link it to the actual (Chinese) state, but it's certainly an act that intimidates the Chinese diaspora in Australia,' Drew Pavlou, a prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), told 'It intimidates Tibetans, Uyghurs, Hong Kongers, Taiwanese - people who have moved to Australia to escape the Chinese regime. 'It's not fair to Australians as well, because it makes a mockery of our police and our legal system.' Shadow minister for home affairs Andrew Hastie said: 'Impersonating a police officer is a serious offence in and of itself, but it would be even more concerning if this tactic was being used as a tool of transnational repression to intimidate the Chinese diaspora in Australia.' 'ASIO has warned us that espionage and foreign interference are already at extreme levels, and it is no secret that the Chinese Government is the primary perpetrator,' Mr Hastie told 'There is no room for complacency in addressing these threats.' A car bearing fake Chinese police decals appeared in Melbourne in 2023, and two others were spotted in Adelaide and Perth amid pro-Hong Kong democracy protests in 2019. In response to the 2023 Melbourne incident, Benjamin Herscovitch, an expert on Australia-China relations, said the decals on the cars were so obvious that they were highly unlikely to be state-sanctioned. The cars would prove a 'huge liability' for Beijing, Mr Herscovitch told SBS News. 'From the point of view of the Chinese government, the benefits that you would get from having a car like this driving around the streets of Melbourne, are not big enough to justify the diplomatic kerfuffle and drama for the Chinese government that would result if something like this was traced back to the Chinese government.' Do you know more? Email Suburban Sydney charges In the latest incident, police arrested 21-year-old Kunlang Li at Strathfield, in Sydney's inner west, on Friday after he was caught allegedly driving a car bearing Chinese police insignia. Photos of the black Mercedes S-Class appeared to show the Mandarin characters for 'police' emblazoned on the bonnet, while the English translation was misspelt as 'poilce'. NSW Police also allegedly discovered firearms and ammunition in the car, and it was claimed Li produced a fake document claiming the car's purpose was to transport Chinese consulate officials. Li, who holds an active firearms licence, allegedly told police he believed the boot of the car was 'the best place to store his ammunition'. Officers seized the bullets along with other items suspected of being used to impersonate police. They later searched Li's Baulkham Hills home and also seized two gel blaster firearms. There is no suggestion that Li has any involvement with or connection to the Chinese state or Communist Party. Li was charged with multiple offences, including use display emergency services organisation insignia and drive motor vehicle with unlawful police insignia. He appeared in Burwood Local Court on Tuesday and did not enter a plea. He will remain on bail until his next court appearance on August 11. In 2022, a report by NGO Safeguard Defenders found that two secret Chinese 'police service stations' had been set up in Australia, including one in Sydney.
Yahoo
21-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Canada's deportation of alleged Mafia boss hinges on foreign eavesdropping
A federal deportation appeal on Monday that will decide whether an alleged Mafia boss must return to his native Italy is raising questions about foreign interference and constitutional rights in Canada. At stake is the question of whether a foreign government should be able to arrange warrantless surveillance of a person on Canadian soil, and then use evidence obtained in a Canadian legal proceeding. Vincenzo (Jimmy) DeMaria was born in Siderno, Italy, but has resided in Canada for most of his life. Siderno is in the poor, southern region of Calabria — the toe on the boot of the Italian peninsula. The seaside town was home to a group of family clans of the Calabrian Mafia known as 'Ndrangheta that began to migrate to the Toronto area in the 1950s. The DeMaria family arrived in Canada in 1955 when Vincenzo DeMaria was just nine months old. Despite living in the country for all of his 71 years, he would never become a Canadian citizen. Both the Italian and Canadian governments declined to speak directly about the case. However, court filings provide a clearer picture of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)'s allegations against the alleged mob boss. 'Ndrangheta, a powerful Mafia in Canada The 'Ndrangheta surpassed the Sicilian Mafia to become Italy's most powerful organized crime group many years ago, and it has spread its operations across Europe and the world, most notably Canada. In Toronto the 'Ndrangheta has been targeted in some of the biggest police operations of recent years, such as Project Sindacato in 2019, which focused on its illegal gambling operations. Canadian police have identified the most prominent branch of the 'Ndrangheta operating in Canada as the "Siderno Group," sometimes referred to in Italy as the Society of Siderno, because of its origins in DeMaria's hometown. Members of the group have allegedly accumulated considerable wealth through drug-smuggling, loan-sharking and other illegal activities, and were even able to infiltrate Canadian banks. The Government of Canada has argued that DeMaria is a senior figure in that criminal underworld, which he denies. His lawyer Jessica Zita told CBC News that DeMaria is a property manager. "He owns a number of properties and he manages all of them. Previously he was in the financial services business," she said. Italian police, however, have described him as one of the most senior leaders of the 'Ndrangheta in Canada, and a member of the group's Camera di Controllo, the equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia's Commission. DeMaria has denied those allegations. A murder in Little Italy In 1981, DeMaria shot a fellow Italian immigrant seven times in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood, and received a second-degree murder conviction for which he served eight years in prison. Because of that conviction he was never able to obtain Canadian citizenship and, like all convicted murderers, DeMaria is on parole for life, making him subject to re-arrest at any time. DeMaria has spent much of his life fighting to remain in Canada. His original deportation order, resulting from his murder conviction, was quashed in 1996. He was arrested again in 2009 and 2013 for associating with organized crime figures in violation of his parole conditions. In April 2018, he was ordered deported again on grounds of organized criminality, and placed in detention in the Collins Bay Institution in Ontario, pending appeal, only to be released into house arrest in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit and he had his own health complications. A visit from the old country While he was in prison in 2019, a murder in Siderno triggered a string of events that would become central to his case. A high-ranking mafioso called Carmelo "Mino" Muià was ambushed, and his brother Vincenzo Muià set off on a quest to find out who did it. Police have suggested he may also have been seeking the permission of the 'Ndrangheta's governing body to take revenge. His journey brought him to Canada, where he visited his second cousin DeMaria in prison at Collins Bay. What Muià didn't know was that the Italian Carabinieri — equivalent to Canada's RCMP — had installed spyware that effectively turned his phone into a microphone that was always on. In order to record his conversations on Canadian soil, however, they needed the co-operation of Canadian police. The Italians asked York Regional Police (YRP) for assistance both in intercepting communications and in maintaining surveillance on Muià while he was in Canada. But a Canadian Crown lawyer who was asked to review the request argued it should not be granted. Jeffery Pearson sent a letter to police in March 2019 stating that that he had found an "insufficient basis" to authorize surveillance under Part VI of the Criminal Code. He said there were "no reasonable and probable grounds to believe that either Mr. Muià or [travelling companion] Mr. Gregoarci have committed, or are committing, an offence in Canada." 'Illegal' surveillance, lawyers argue DeMaria's lawyers argue in their petition that things should have stopped right there. "Despite Pearson's clear denunciation and without the required judicial authorization, YRP moved ahead with the investigation and Mr. Muià's conversations during that time were illegally intercepted." They say the Muià was not only bugged but also placed under physical surveillance, without seeking judicial authorization and ignoring the legal advice given by Pearson. If they are successful, it would not be the first time that over-aggressive surveillance by York Regional Police may have sabotaged a case against alleged 'Ndrangheta members. Prosecutions arising from the Project Sindacato investigation, announced with great fanfare in 2019, ultimately fell apart in 2021 because YRP investigators were accused of eavesdropping on privileged conversations between the accused and their attorneys. Precedent for more snooping? DeMaria's lawyers dispute CBSA's arguments that the recordings made on Muià's phone support its contention that DeMaria is involved in organized crime. Only transcripts have been provided to Canadian courts and those appear to include lengthy sections that are paraphrased rather than verbatim. They also dispute whether references to a "Jimmy" in the recordings are really even about their client. And DeMaria's defence has poured scorn on the use of a police informant, Carmine Guido, who at times professed ignorance about the inner workings of the 'Ndrangheta, and who also made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling drugs while working with police. But their main argument against the CBSA's effort to remove DeMaria is that it relies on illegal recordings made at the instigation of a foreign government without regard for Canadian laws and civil liberties. If the precedent is allowed to stand, Zita says, "what that's saying is any foreign government can listen to us." She argued that the admission of paraphrased discussions "that aren't authenticated, that aren't tested," would also set a dangerous precedent. CBSA says all laws followed While declining to discuss DeMaria's case specifically, CBSA spokesperson Rebecca Purdy told CBC News that officials follow the law. "CBSA has a legal obligation to remove all foreign nationals found to be inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act," she said. "There are multiple steps built into the process to ensure procedural fairness and the CBSA only actions a removal order once all legal avenues of recourse have been exhausted." Zita says it's not that CBSA broke the law, but rather that it's relying partly on evidence collected illegally by York Regional Police. That, she said, must not be allowed to stand. "[Officials could] find ways through other countries outside of our borders with lower standards for evidentiary rules, take whatever evidence they're able to get using our technology, without having to report to anyone about it, bring that evidence back into our country and rely on it without any sort of testing whatsoever," she said. "That's as good as having no evidence at all. And it is demonstrably unfair for there's no way to reply to that. That's teetering very close to being an authoritarian regime." The virtual hearing begins on Monday at the Immigration Appeal Division in Toronto. The first witness is expected to be an investigator of the Carabinieri unit that made the original request for surveillance of Muià in Canada. Solve the daily Crossword
CBC
21-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Canada's deportation of alleged Mafia boss hinges on foreign eavesdropping
A federal deportation appeal on Monday that will decide whether an alleged Mafia boss must return to his native Italy is raising questions about foreign interference and constitutional rights in Canada. At stake is the question of whether a foreign government should be able to arrange warrantless surveillance of a person on Canadian soil, and then use evidence obtained in a Canadian legal proceeding. Vincenzo "Jimmy" DeMaria was born in Siderno, Italy, but has resided in Canada for most of his life. Siderno is in the poor, southern region of Calabria — the toe on the boot of the Italian peninsula. The seaside town was home to a group of family clans of the Calabrian Mafia known as 'Ndrangheta that began to migrate to the Toronto area in the 1950s. The DeMaria family arrived in Canada in 1955 when Vincenzo DeMaria was just nine months old. Despite living in the country for all of his 71 years, he would never become a Canadian citizen. Both the Italian and Canadian governments declined to speak directly about the case. However, court filings provide a clearer picture of the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA)'s allegations against the alleged mob boss. 'Ndrangheta, a powerful Mafia in Canada The 'Ndrangheta surpassed the Sicilian Mafia to become Italy's most powerful organized crime group many years ago, and it has spread its operations across Europe and the world, most notably Canada. In Toronto the 'Ndrangheta has been targeted in some of the biggest police operations of recent years, such as Project Sindacato in 2019, which focused on its illegal gambling operations. Canadian police have identified the most prominent branch of the 'Ndrangheta operating in Canada as the "Siderno Group," sometimes referred to in Italy as the Society of Siderno, because of its origins in DeMaria's hometown. Members of the group have allegedly accumulated considerable wealth through drug-smuggling, loan-sharking and other illegal activities, and were even able to infiltrate Canadian banks. The Government of Canada has argued that DeMaria is a senior figure in that criminal underworld, which he denies. His lawyer Jessica Zita told CBC News that DeMaria is a property manager. "He owns a number of properties and he manages all of them. Previously he was in the financial services business," she said. Italian police, however, have described him as one of the most senior leaders of the 'Ndrangheta in Canada, and a member of the group's Camera di Controllo, the equivalent of the Sicilian Mafia's Commission. DeMaria has denied those allegations. A murder in Little Italy In 1981, DeMaria shot a fellow Italian immigrant seven times in Toronto's Little Italy neighbourhood, and received a second-degree murder conviction for which he served eight years in prison. Because of that conviction he was never able to obtain Canadian citizenship and, like all convicted murderers, DeMaria is on parole for life, making him subject to re-arrest at any time. DeMaria has spent much of his life fighting to remain in Canada. His original deportation order, resulting from his murder conviction, was quashed in 1996. He was arrested again in 2009 and 2013 for associating with organized crime figures in violation of his parole conditions, which bar him from contact with even his own brother. In April 2018, he was ordered deported again on grounds of organized criminality, and placed in detention in the Collins Bay Institution in Ontario, pending appeal, only to be released into house arrest in 2020 as the COVID-19 pandemic hit and he had his own health complications. A visit from the old country While he was in prison in 2019, a murder in Siderno triggered a string of events that would become central to his case. A high-ranking mafioso called Carmelo "Mino" Muià was ambushed, and his brother Vincenzo Muià set off on a quest to find out who did it. Police have suggested he may also have been seeking the permission of the 'Ndrangheta's governing body to take revenge. His journey brought him to Canada, where he visited his second cousin DeMaria in prison at Collins Bay. What Muià didn't know was that the Italian Carabinieri — equivalent to Canada's RCMP — had installed spyware that effectively turned his phone into a microphone that was always on. In order to record his conversations on Canadian soil, however, they needed the co-operation of Canadian police. The Italians asked York Regional Police (YRP) for assistance both in intercepting communications and in maintaining surveillance on Muià while he was in Canada. But a Canadian Crown lawyer who was asked to review the request argued it should not be granted. Jeffery Pearson sent a letter to police in March 2019 stating that that he had found an "insufficient basis" to authorize surveillance under Part VI of the Criminal Code. He said there were "no reasonable and probable grounds to believe that either Mr. Muià or [travelling companion] Mr. Gregoarci have committed, or are committing, an offence in Canada." 'Illegal' surveillance, lawyers argue DeMaria's lawyers argue in their petition that things should have stopped right there. "Despite Pearson's clear denunciation and without the required judicial authorization, YRP moved ahead with the investigation and Mr. Muià's conversations during that time were illegally intercepted." They say the Muià was not only bugged but also placed under physical surveillance, without seeking judicial authorization and ignoring the legal advice given by Pearson. If they are successful, it would not be the first time that over-aggressive surveillance by York Regional Police may have sabotaged a case against alleged 'Ndrangheta members. Prosecutions arising from the Project Sindacato investigation, announced with great fanfare in 2019, ultimately fell apart in 2021 because YRP investigators were accused of eavesdropping on privileged conversations between the accused and their attorneys. Precedent for more snooping? DeMaria's lawyers dispute CBSA's arguments that the recordings made on Muià's phone support its contention that DeMaria is involved in organized crime. Only transcripts have been provided to Canadian courts and those appear to include lengthy sections that are paraphrased rather than verbatim. They also dispute whether references to a "Jimmy" in the recordings are really even about their client. And DeMaria's defence has poured scorn on the use of a police informant, Carmine Guido, who at times professed ignorance about the inner workings of the 'Ndrangheta, and who also made hundreds of thousands of dollars selling drugs while working with police. But their main argument against the CBSA's effort to remove DeMaria is that it relies on illegal recordings made at the instigation of a foreign government without regard for Canadian laws and civil liberties. If the precedent is allowed to stand, Zita says, "what that's saying is any foreign government can listen to us." She argued that the admission of paraphrased discussions "that aren't authenticated, that aren't tested," would also set a dangerous precedent. CBSA says all laws followed While declining to discuss DeMaria's case specifically, CBSA spokesperson Rebecca Purdy told CBC News that officials follow the law. "CBSA has a legal obligation to remove all foreign nationals found to be inadmissible to Canada under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act," she said. "There are multiple steps built into the process to ensure procedural fairness and the CBSA only actions a removal order once all legal avenues of recourse have been exhausted." Zita says it's not that CBSA broke the law, but rather that it's relying partly on evidence collected illegally by York Regional Police. That, she said, must not be allowed to stand. "[Officials could] find ways through other countries outside of our borders with lower standards for evidentiary rules, take whatever evidence they're able to get using our technology, without having to report to anyone about it, bring that evidence back into our country and rely on it without any sort of testing whatsoever," she said. "That's as good as having no evidence at all. And it is demonstrably unfair for there's no way to reply to that. That's teetering very close to being an authoritarian regime." The virtual hearing begins on Monday at the Immigration Appeal Division in Toronto. The first witness is expected to be an investigator of the Carabinieri unit that made the original request for surveillance of Muià in Canada.
