Espionage: Two Italian entrepreneurs investigated for obtaining information on behalf of Russia

Two Italian entrepreneurs aged 34 and 60 are accused of allegedly selling "sensitive" information to agents of the Russian Federation. The two are skilled technology professionals and are partners in the same company in Brianza.

The public prosecutor, Alessandro Gobbis, with the deputy in charge of anti-terrorism, Eugenio Fusco, and the Milan prosecutor, Marcello Viola, concluded a preliminary investigation, conducted by the Milan Ros, in collaboration with the Cryptocurrency Section of the Carabinieri Antifalsification Monetary Command in Rome.

The investigation, in which AISE, the Italian external intelligence agency, also collaborated, started in April 2024. It picked up pace before the summer when the military carried out searches in the homes of the suspects, seizing computer devices and documentation. The entrepreneurs are represented by lawyers Caterina Managò and Ferdinando Mambella.

The crime they are accused of is "bribery of a citizen by a foreigner", as under Article 270, for the purposes of terrorism and subversion.

The alleged Italian spies acted based on 'political sympathies'

It is reported that the two men acted out of "political sympathies" and ideological inclinations, and supported the Russian cause since the outbreak of the war in Ukraine. Their economic motive is, for the moment, reduced to single payments of a few thousand euro in cryptocurrencies.

Conversations published by newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano on Thursday showed excerpts of conversations between an Italian-Swiss citizen and his alleged Russian interlocutor, in which the alleged FSB agents handed down assignments. Among the "missions" to be carried out, were capturing images of streets and squares in cities as well as mapping barracks and military sites. This took place in Milan and Rome, but also in Aviano, known for its air base used by the United States. They were also asked to install dash cams on taxis to monitor the movements of subjects of interest.

Starting in early 2023, the two also "collaborated with Russian intelligence services" to "provide information of a sensitive nature", such as "mapping the video surveillance systems of the cities of Milan and Rome, paying particular attention to 'grey zones'", meaning areas of the city not covered by cameras. They also installed dash cams on taxis, unbeknownst to the taxi drivers themselves.

Biot case: 29-year sentence upheld

The affair of the two Italian entrepreneurs recruited from Russia is just one of the many that have followed the route from Moscow to Rome, Milan and Naples. Cases have included espionage, influencing of opinions and obtaining sensitive information stolen from the Italian state.

In another case on Wednesday, the judges of the first section of the Court of Cassation handed down a final sentence of 29 years and 2 months for Navy Frigate Captain Walter Biot.

The officer, who was arrested by police on 30 March 2021, was accused of having sold secret information to a Russian embassy official in exchange for money. He had initially been sentenced to 20 years by another court in January.