New angle on spy in cab
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A COLD WAR has begun bE tween hundreds of lorry-drivE spies from the Eastern Blo countries and Western intell gence agencies, writes our Bru: sels correspondent.
Western intelligence suspect that many of these "long distance drivers" are officers i the Soviet Red Army or Warm Pact tank commanders sent t study the terrain where the might one day see action.
Certainly their operatin methods would swiftly put an normal haulage business int the bankruptcy court. Bulgaria lorries have taken three days t cover the 300 kilometres fror Aachen to Antwerp to delivE containers at the docks. A detoi would take them past Nat headquarters on the outskirts c Brussels; and the allied militar hq (SHAPE) at Mons is i Southern Belgium. Many c these spy lorries carry radio an electronic bugging equipment The Eastern Bloc hauliers als show a curious tendency to hea for destinations near Nat training exercises, to which Sc viet military attaches were ric invited for reasons of security. , third target is the layout of stri tegic roads, bridges and jun( tions all over Western EuropE Motorists have seen Russiar Bulgarian, Czech and East Ge man lorries parked while th drivers appear to be sketchim taking measurements or photc graphs. An ex-KGB officer wh fled to the West revealed thi month that one of the driven main tasks is to test the capacit of bridges for carrying tank: The spy-in-the-cab operatio must cost the Communists a most as much as the mainter ance of their fleet of spy-trawler which they send round th world. Eight thousand visa were issued last year to Commt fist lorry-drivers by West Ge many alone (this excludes Ea: German drivers, who do not quire visas). A study made b intelligence officers has show that many of these vehicles at operated at a loss.
Belgium is the first country t wake up to the dangers, and system of surveillance is no being operated over all Easter Bloc lorries as soon as they at reported at the frontier. We Germany may follow the example, and I understand tall. are taking place with the intell gence services in France, He land, Sweden and Switzerlant