Foreign spies bug British offices

By Rupert Hamer Defence
Correspondent, sundaymirror.co.uk
February 9, 2009
Spies from at least 20 countries are targeting British businesses to steal industrial secrets.

Spooks are bugging offices, intercepting phone calls and infiltrating corporations to gain commercial details worth millions.

Senior security sources say networks from Iran, Russia and China are "highly active" here. But other socalled allies such as France, Spain and Saudi Arabia are also involved.

A report leaked to the Sunday Mirror says medical advances, particularly in genetics, are one of the spies' main targets. It states: "Intelligence services ... are targeting commercial enterprises far more than in the past.