On 30 April, the Australian media reported that the country expelled two Indian spies in 2020 for trying to steal secrets about sensitive defence projects, airport security, and trade relationships.
The alleged Indian espionage operation was uncovered by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and the reports said that the Indian spies were also closely monitoring Indians living in Australia and cultivating Australian politicians.
Officially, the Australian government side-stepped the reports. Treasurer Jim Chalmers told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) that he would not comment on "those stories”, adding that Australia had a good relationship with India and "It’s become closer in recent years as a consequence of efforts on both sides.”
In 2021, ASIO Chief Mike Burgess referred to the activities of the agents without naming the country involved. In his annual threat assessment he had said besides building relationships with “current and former politicians, a foreign embassy and a state police service,” they had successfully recruited an Australian with security clearance with access to “sensitive details of defence technology.”
The reports came a day after The Washington Post had named the Research & Analysis (R&AW) officer involved in the foiled assassination plot against Sikh extremist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in New York last year. The Post also detailed the Australian incidents and noted that the German police had also acted "to root out agents RAW had recruited within Sikh communities.”
As for Australia, a close partner of India, New Delhi has termed the report as “speculative” because Canberra itself has refused to confirm them and it’s not clear whether it has raised them with New Delhi.