[Sweden]: Operation Border Veil

[Connor]

Operation Border Veil Directorate 47 (D47) Department of Defence

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Swedish Department of Defence
Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, Stockholm
Swedish Strategic Command (STRATCOM)
Operation Order (OPORD)
April 2008
TOP SECRET - D47 EYES ONLY​

Situation Report
Internally, the Kingdom of Sweden has slowly being growing intelligence capabilities to compete with the world-leaders in international espionage. Senior officials within the realms most secretive agency have launched Operation Border Veil to represent the initial phase of a broader effort to improve situational awareness and resilience. Rather than an over expansion of capability, this operation will focus on discreet data acquisition and analysis aimed at identifying vulnerabilities in cross-border activity and emerging security risks. The programme operates within a highly controlled remit and addresses the need for non-attributable collection methods, collecting information without revealing the mechanisms used to acquire them.

Belligerents
Kingdom of Sweden v.

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Objectives
REDACTED

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Campaign Register
REDACTED

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Live Deployment
Armed Forces Deployment Administration

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Copyright © Swedish Armed Forces, Kingdom of Sweden
All information is subject to the Swedish Document Classification and Security Act 1995​

 

[Connor]

[CLASSIFICATION: TOP SECRET - D47 EYES ONLY]
[TIME: 08H00M]
[OPERATION BORDER VEIL: ESTABLISHMENT][/COLOR]

Directorate 47, the most secret of any government-funded agency in Sweden and whose existence is totally denied, had reached a mature level of domestic intelligence. However, passive observation alone is no longer sufficient and while digital intelligence collection and cyber reconnaissance was a key strategic option for insight, it lacked the plausible deniability the Swedish government desperately needed in order to advance foreign intelligence. The process needed human judgement to fully enable an internationally-capable intelligence service and in order to do that the HUMINT Operations Cell has initiated the first phase of domestic infiltration. The quiet placement of trained personnel within legitimate aviation security environments throughout the realms most significant international gateways. A wealth of untapped potential. Airports remain one of the most strategically valuable intelligence environments in modern times. They are the junction between domestic and international territory, a point in time where diplomats, corporate executives, military personnel, criminal networks, private citizens and even other intelligence officers converge under a routine administrative task. Nobody questions the processes beneath the roof of an airport and most see them as essential, necessary administrative processes in the interest of public safety and counter terrorism. But the ability to observe these flows, legally and discreetly, without external awareness, provides a goldmine of geopolitical movement patterns and data.

As a result, the first phase was simple, under the authorisation issued through internal directorate channels, eight HUMTINT field operatives are to be disseminated across selected aviation security roles within both Sweden and the overseas territory of South Africa. Each operative has undergone extensive identity construction, background verification and employment pathway engineering to ensure that their positions were obtained through legitimate operations. Internally however, they function as quiet collection points.

In Sweden, assets have successfully secured posts within security and passenger screening environments at Stockholm Arlanda Airport, Göteborg Landvetter Airport, Malmö Airport, and Luleå Airport. These locations were selected for passenger volume but also their strategic diversity. Arlanda is famously Sweden's principle diplomatic and governmental transit hub, Landvetter is a gateway for western commercial travel, Malmö offers port for southern Eruopean and Baltic traffic and finally Luleå is key for strategic movement and logistics/defence related transit.

Simultaneously, an additional four are planted in the South African aviation security sphere. Establishing positions at O.R. Tambo International Airport, Cape Town International Airport, King Shaka International Airport and Bram Fischer International Airport. Four more of the worlds most famous international gateways. These facilities collectively account for the majority of air movement within the territory. On this occasion, an agent has secured a position within a secondary security oversight role providing visibility over passenger screening operations and access-controlled staff corridors.

In order to ensure the integrity of the mission, every single operative functions independently. None are aware of the identities of their counterparts and operational contact with Directorate 47 occurs solely through encrypted communication relays administered by the Secure Communications Cell within the Operational Support Division (FALCON). Intelligence collected is intentionally narrow in scope: the observation of behaviour, travel patterns, travel documentation security capabilities, diplomatic movement and indicators suggesting hostile intelligence within aviation environments. The primary purpose of this mission is the collection of information for analysis into intelligence. That starts with travel documentation for spoofing.

For the public, there is no change, airport security remains exactly as it appears. Routine.