The ‘hunt’ for Russian spies continues throughout Europe , specifically for ‘illegals’ who pretend to have another identity, with no direct ties to Moscow or the Russian embassies in the country. It seems like material reminiscent of the Cold War or of TV series based on espionage, but this is the case that took place in Slovenia , in the capital Ljubljana , in January 2023, later made famous by a recent report by the Guardian . A figure that also raises some concern on the front of Trieste and Friuli Venezia Giulia, considering the proximity and the many cross-border ties with the Slovenian country.
Following a foreign alert, the police and intelligenceSlovenian arrested a couple of Russian spies in their own home. These are Maria Mayer and Ludwig Gisch; formally the two were respectively an artist, with her own art gallery, and the owner of a tech start-up that provided business services. The couple – which also included two young children, now entrusted to social services – had moved to Ljubljana in 2017, claiming to be South American, specifically the documents attesting an Argentine citizenship.
Neighbors described them as friendly and pleasant people, perhaps a little humble. Her husband’s start up was clearly out of date, it wasn’t clear what clients she had of hers; while his wife was instead very active in the artistic scene of the capital, engaged in continuous trips abroad. In the family, especially with their children, the couple spoke Spanish; with Slovenian customers and neighbors, however, they argued in English. Although in reality they were Russian citizens, the pair of spies said they found the Slovenian too difficult; actually speaking it would probably betray the Russian accent.
Foreign Minister Tanja Fajon confirmed that the couple were actually Russian spies, with citizenship of the Russian Federation; these were ‘illegals’, trained for years to impersonate foreign roles and sent abroad to obtain sensitive material for Russian intelligence . The coverage was so absolute, so perfect that the children themselves were convinced that the parents were of Argentine nationality.
The arrest subsequently led to a search of the couple’s home, where huge amounts of cash were found, which took hours to count. Now we wonder what other spies are hiding in countries where counterespionage is weak or absent; which was the unfortunate case of Slovenia.
Source: Trieste News
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