The Counterintelligence Department has detained a Georgian citizen on charges of espionage—specifically, the collection and transmission of information on behalf of a foreign intelligence service, according to the State Security Service (SSG). The agency reports that the detainee was recruited by a foreign intelligence service, assigned a codename, and acted against Georgia’s interests in exchange for financial compensation.
“A foreign intelligence officer tasked him, in exchange for a specific monetary reward, with collecting various types of information directed against the interests of Georgia for the purpose of transferring it to the foreign party.
According to the investigation, the detainee was tasked with collecting information in Georgia in the following areas:
- Concerning Georgia’s law enforcement agencies: the State Security Service, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Ministry of Defense—their locations, personnel, and assets, as well as conducting photo and video surveillance of these sites;
- Concerning strategic infrastructure in Georgia—including bridges, highways, railways, and other facilities—their locations, as well as conducting photo and video surveillance of these sites, etc.
The State Security Service also reports that the Counterintelligence Department has exposed two other Georgian citizens involved in similar crimes.
According to the SSG, both individuals were recruited by the same foreign intelligence officers and, in accordance with their instructions, were engaged in the collection of various types of information detrimental to Georgia’s interests and its transfer to representatives of the foreign intelligence service.
Given the specifics of the case, relevant operational and investigative measures were carried out over a long period within the framework of the investigation to accurately establish all details of the crime.
The detainee will be charged with espionage under Part 1 of Article 314 of the Criminal Code of Georgia, which carries a prison sentence of 8 to 12 years.
As for the two other individuals currently outside Georgia, they will also be charged in absentia under the same article. An international search warrant via Interpol will be issued for the fugitives,” the SSG stated.
