Japan creates an intelligence agency. The goal is to fight “Putin’s spy den”

In Japan, for the first time since World War II, a centralized intelligence service is being created. The corresponding law was adopted by both houses of parliament. According to the Japan Times, it will be formed this month.

Until now, Japan has relied on information received from the United States to counter external intelligence threats. The police, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, etc. have their own intelligence structures. There was no single government structure.

Now the National Intelligence Agency is being created on the basis of the government bureau of intelligence and research. Its activities will be controlled by the National Intelligence Council, headed by the Prime Minister and with the participation of the ministers of defense, finance, justice, foreign affairs, and heads of other departments.

The Council will assess and direct critical intelligence operations, including those related to threats to national security and terrorism, enemy intelligence activities, and determine policy in this area.

It should be noted that on July 13, the New York Times published an investigation into the activities of Russian intelligence services in Japan. Their goal is to gain access to dual-use technologies and products through shell companies. All this is then used during military operations against Ukraine.

Work in this area is carried out by the secret 20th Directorate of the GRU. The head of his mission in Tokyo is 49-year-old Maxim Filchenkov, his official place of work is the Aeroflot representative office in Tokyo. “Japan has become Putin’s spy den,” the publication notes.