Russian and Israeli secret agents use false Irish passports

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A spokesman for the Russian embassy in Dublin said it had not been approached by the Irish authorities about the matter, and had only yesterday learned that a passport belonging to a volunteer with To Russia With Love had been compromised.
It is no wonder that the passports of Irish citizens continue to be abused. What is most worrying is the extent to which abuses are ongoing and just how little Irish authorities know about it.
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Headlines concering Irish passports by Israeli and Russian secret agents.
Recall of passports considered in wake of Mossad forgeries | 20/08/2010
* Russia spy 'got Irish passport in Italy' | 30/06/2010
* FBI says spy travelled on false Irish passport | 30/06/2010
* Use of Irish passport linked to alleged Russian spy ring | 29/06/2010
Today Gardai examine use of several Irish passports by Russian spies
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has described the use of data from several Irish passports by members of a Russian spy ring uncovered in the US earlier this year as “disturbing”.
Gardaí are investigating the use of the passports, including one belonging to a volunteer with an Irish charity which works with orphans in Russia.
Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said in Donegal today that as many as six Irish passports may be involved.
Mr Martin said the full details of the use of Irish passports had yet to be established. However, he said the revelations were a matter of concern.
“Any situation which results in the undermining of the integrity of our passport system and indeed compromises people, is a matter of grave concern to us,” Mr Martin told reporters during a visit to Belfast today.

Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern said it was vital the integrity of the Irish passport was upheld. “Irish people are entitled to be able to travel abroad with their passport, which is internationally recognised. The importance of the authenticity of our passport isn’t to be interfered with.”
US investigators broke up the spy ring in June with the arrest of 10 people in New York, Boston, New Jersey and Virginia. All 10, who were later deported as part of a spy swap deal with Russia, admitted conspiring to act as unregistered foreign agents.

Debbie Deegan, managing director of To Russia With Love, has confirmed that the Garda last week contacted a female volunteer with the charity to inform her that her passport had been compromised.
Describing as “distressing” the news that a volunteer’s passport details had been stolen, Ms Deegan said the charity had no information about how it may have happened. “To our knowledge our office system was not tampered with at any stage.”

In July, Eunan Gerard Doherty, from Carndonagh, Co Donegal, was interviewed by Garda after it emerged his passport details were used by one of the 10 agents. Mr Doherty, a part-time fireman, had travelled to Russia on holiday in 2005. It is understood his wife Maureen has been told by Garda that her passport may also have been compromised.

Documents released by the US justice department allege that one of the 10 spies, who used the assumed name Richard Murphy, flew to Rome last February where he was instructed to collect a forged Irish passport in the name of Eunan Gerard Doherty before flying on to Moscow.
The spy was married to another agent, who called herself Cynthia Murphy. The couple lived in the New Jersey suburb of Montclair with their two young children.

A spokesman for the Russian embassy in Dublin said it had not been approached by the Irish authorities about the matter, and had only yesterday learned that a passport belonging to a volunteer with To Russia With Love had been compromised.
A Department of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman said investigations by the gardaí and the Passport Office were ongoing. She said the department could not comment on individual cases.

The Russian Embassy in Dublin declined to comment on the scandal but praised the work of the To Russia With Love charity. “We really appreciate what Ms Deegan and her organisation does. We understand that she is, has done, and is going to do a lot of noble work and charitable assistance in our country. We really highly respect her organisation,” an embassy spokesman said.

Fine Gael’s foreign affairs spokesman Sean Barrett claimed the latest revelations about Irish passports show Mr Martin has failed to implement effective security measures following the use of Irish passports by Israeli agents during the assassination of a senior Hamas figure in Dubai in January.
“The security of British passports was significantly reinforced immediately following the Dubai assassination scandal but no such security enhancements have been implemented to protect Irish passports despite the fact that they were abused in exactly the same manner,” he said. “It is no wonder then that the passports of Irish citizens continue to be abused. What is most worrying is the extent to which abuses are ongoing and just how little Irish authorities know about it.”

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Russian and Israeli secret agents use false Irish passports