Netherlands/UK: MI5 recruited former BVD/IDB officers
01 June 2000
Last year MI5, the UK's security service, recruited several former Binnenlandse Veiligheidsdienst (BVD) and Inlichtingendienst Buitenland (IDB) intelligence officers to spy in east European countries. The story broke after one of the former IDB-officers complained to the Ombudsman about the behaviour of the BVD. The IDB is the former Dutch foreign intelligence service, which was disbanded in 1994. Former IDB officials found it difficult to find new work, some went to the BVD, some started their own businesses while others were unemployed.
At beginning of 1999 the BVD came across an MI5 operation in the Netherlands, and a special unit was set-up to investigate the activities of a liaison officer at the UK embassy. "The annoying thing is that a friendly intelligence service is involved", the BVD say in the Ombudsman's report. The BVD discovered that the liaison officer had contacted former BVD and IDB officers. One of the former IDB officers was visited by the BVD on the 8 March 1999. They questioned him about his activities and he denied that any contacts had taken place. He complained that he felt harassed by the BVD and on 25 May 1999 he made a complaint to the Ombudsman.
In the Ombudsman's report are sections of the transcript of the interview between the BVD and the former IDB officer. The main focus of the interview is the involvement of the former IDB officer in MI5 operations. The IDB man, who now runs a private intelligence company, seems to have established a "business relationship" with the liaison officer. The BVD were very interested in activities the IDB agent was setting up in Berlin. He said these activities were to establish cooperation with German private security firms. He denied cooperating with the UK embassy. The final report was submitted to the Prime Minister, who decided to quietly expel the UK liaison officer. The BVD was angered at being overlooked by the UK authorities. A UK embassy spokesman said: "It would have been much more appropriate if the director of the BVD had contacted us. We do work a lot together and share a lot of secrets. This is not a way to act against a friendly service".
Ombudsman's report, 29.2.00, file no 20/076, see: http://www ombudsman. nl (search for svD)