Australia has indirectly confirmed the expulsion of two Indian intelligence operatives in 2020, amidst reports of a larger network of Indian spies operating in the country.

The expulsion was first reported by the Washington Post which said two spies were expelled from the country but the Australian Broadcasting Corporation subsequently reported that the incident had seen “a number” of Indian officials being removed from Australia by the Morrison government.

The development has raised concerns about foreign interference and espionage activities by India in Australia.

Opposition Leader Peter Dutton said foreign interference posed a “significant threat” to Australia the ABC reported.

The government was a bit carefulm though. “I don’t propose to get into those stories,” Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the ABC on Wednesday.

The Washington Post reported on Tuesday that the expulsion of the two officers from the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), India’s foreign intelligence agency, was part of a larger operation to counter Indian espionage activities in Australia.

The report also mentioned similar incidents in Germany and the UK, where RAW agents were identified and expelled.

The ABC said they were found stealing sensitive documents.

“The ABC has confirmed that India’s government was operating the “nest of spies” that the director-general of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Mike Burgess, first revealed in 2021,” the ABC said.

In a 2021 speech, the Director-General of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Mike Burgess, warned about a “nest of spies” from an unnamed foreign intelligence service operating in Australia. While not explicitly naming India, Burgess detailed their activities, including cultivating politicians, monitoring diaspora communities, and attempting to obtain classified trade information.

Implications for India and Quad

The Indian government has not officially commented on the reports of the expulsion of its intelligence officers from Australia. However, the Indian High Commission in Canberra has been contacted for a statement.

The revelation of Indian espionage activities in Australia comes at a time when the two countries are strengthening their strategic partnership.

India is a key member of the Quad, a security arrangement with the US, Japan, and Australia. The incident could potentially strain the relationship between the two nations.

New Delhi has been found involved in espionage and extrajudicial killings in a number of countries including Canada and Pakistan in recent years.

Other western nations have already expelled Indian spies.