Russian spies sell out of foreign assets
The Federal Security Service (FSB) requests all its agents to sell their private properties abroad.
All agents must sell their private properties abroad before December 2012, a decree signed by FSB leader Aleksandr Bortnikov reads. Only the properties, which are used for service purposes can remain in the agents’ private hands, the new regulation states.
Also the agents, which remain in duty abroad will be allowed to keep their foreign real estate assets.
Within one month, all the privately owned properties will have to be reported to the Service.
The FSB is Russia’s main domestic security agency and the main responsibilities counter-intelligence, internal and border security, counter-terrorism, and surveillance. The FSB is engaged mostly in domestic affairs, while espionage duties are responsibility of the Russian Foreign Intelligence Service. However, the FSB also includes the FAPSI agency, which conducts electronic surveillance abroad. The FSB employs about 66,200 uniformed staff, including about 4,000 special forces troops. It also employs about 160,000–200,000 border guards, Wikipedia informs.
