Iran uses criminals to carry out surveillance on opponents

In recent years, Iran has intensified its surveillance and repression activities against dissidents and political opponents, not only on its territory, but also in European Union (EU) countries and the United Kingdom.

To carry out such an act, according to information published by European newspapers, the Iranian regime, authoritarian and repressive, has even resorted to the use of criminal groups, who become infiltrated agents who are responsible for monitoring and intimidating Iranians who live abroad and oppose the Tehran dictatorship. This action exposes the existence of a clandestine espionage and repression network of the Ayatollah regime that extends beyond Iranian borders.

Partnership with criminals and infiltration of communities

According to the Washington Institute think tank, the Iranian regime, through its intelligence force and sabotage services, has established a collaboration network with criminal groups operating in the underworld of drug trafficking and other illicit activities, with the aim of carrying out surveillance more “effective” and, in many cases, intimidate their victims. This type of alliance between the regime and the criminal underworld is not new, cites the Washington Institute, but it has become increasingly frequent in recent years, especially with the growth in the number of Iranian dissidents who have sought refuge in Europe and in the United Kingdom.

According to intelligence sources, these criminal groups are paid and oriented to locate opponents of the regime living outside of Iran. The actions, however, are not limited to just physical interceptions, but also involve digital surveillance, device hacking and even smear campaigns against exiled Iranian political figures or activists. With increasingly intense surveillance, Iran attempts, through these practices, to destabilize and silence those who oppose Islamic theocracy.

Digital espionage and cyber attacks

In the European Union, human rights activists and political exiles have been the target of constant threats, and their media outlets are often invaded or hacked to prevent the dissemination of information against the ayatollahs’ regime.

The nature of these surveillance and repression operations has expanded. Recently, according to the Washington Institute, sources pointed out that the Iranian regime used intermediaries in the United Kingdom to spy on and threaten dissidents, often using violent methods such as physical attacks and kidnappings. This has generated growing concern among security authorities in several countries, who are now closely monitoring these activities.

In October, during the presentation of a report on internal security, Ken McCallum, head of MI5, the British intelligence service, said that since the assassination of Mahsa Amini in 2022, the United Kingdom has seen a series of conspiracies promoted by the Iranian regime “with unprecedented speed and scale.”

“Since January 2022, in partnership with the police, we have responded to 20 Iranian-backed plots that posed potentially lethal threats to British citizens and UK residents,” McCallum said, adding that “(…) Iranian state actors make extensive use of criminals as intermediaries – from international drug traffickers to low-level criminals” to persecute dissidents.

“Last December, a man was arrested for espionage he carried out against the then headquarters of the media organization Iran International. Detecting criminals willing to be manipulated by states has some similarities to identifying potential terrorists who dance to the tune of online radicalizers. It’s a familiar challenge. We will continue to find them,” McCallum said.

One of the most effective forms of surveillance adopted by Iran has been digital espionage. The Islamic regime has a sophisticated network of hackers, often directly linked to power in Tehran, which targets both individual dissidents and organizations that criticize the dictatorship. Through cyber attacks, the Iranian regime is able to access sensitive data, such as personal documents, private communications and information on political activities. This data is used to ambush opponents, both physically and psychologically, in an attempt to silence them.

Furthermore, Iran’s cyber surveillance has become a growing problem for European authorities as the hacking and monitoring technology used by the country is increasingly sophisticated.

The network of Iranian influences in exile

In addition to its clandestine operations, the Iranian regime has expanded its network of influence abroad. This includes both the manipulation of Iranian communities in Western countries and the infiltration of human rights organizations. The objective is to create a network of support for its policies, while fragmenting and neutralizing groups seeking to combat Tehran’s authoritarianism.

These actions also include financial support for certain groups within the Iranian diaspora, offering resources to reinforce government propaganda or to manipulate public opinion. Through these tactics, Iran seeks to increase its international presence and weaken resistance to its repressive methods.

Opponents are scared

Iranian dissidents living abroad often find themselves at the mercy of constant surveillance. Many claim that their communications are monitored and that their families in Iran are threatened. The feeling of insecurity and constant psychological pressure are part of the lives of many opponents who were forced to leave their homes and live as exiles.

In many cases, the fear of reprisals is so strong that some dissidents choose not to engage in overt political activities, limiting their actions to small groups and with great caution. Others seek support from local authorities, but face the challenge of proving they are being targeted by a foreign regime, which is not always easy due to the clandestine nature of these operations.