Double agent

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Double agent or double spy is a designation for an employee ( agent , spy or commanding officer ) of an intelligence service who is simultaneously active for two intelligence services working against one another. Different constellations are possible:

  • On the one hand, it is possible that a double agent is a person who has already been exposed by the opposing side or who has revealed himself to him, who has let himself be turned around for fear of imminent punishment or by granting incentives and is now only effective is actually managed by one of the secret services involved (and usually "feeds" the other service with more or less worthless information, which is often specifically intended to be placed there).
  • It is rare that neither of the two intelligence services involved is aware of the dual activity.
  • Simultaneous activity for more than two services (triple agent) is also possible, but relatively rare.

Most double agents only work for one of the services, for example Richard Sorge only for the Soviet KGB , but pro forma also for the German Abwehr . In some cases they are also turned around (common technical term). When a double agent is discovered, it is shut down , that is, it is isolated from information.

British MI5 had notable success with upside down German agents during World War II ; see history of MI5 .

Known double agents

Individual evidence

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