Swedish librarian: “I was Russian agent” – Aftonbladet

The Swedish university librarian copied and sold the documents to the KGB, the Soviet Union’s secret service.

At Aftonbladet confrontation, he says:

– Why is it that I is a KGB agent? It can, of course … Yes, that was me after all then.

For over 30 years, information about the Swedish university librarian lain buried in St. Basil Mitrochins KGB archive. Now Aftonbladet unearthed the Russian quotations in the archive at Churchill Archives Centre in British Cambridge.

Black on white is following the unnamed Swedish man (name, year of birth, place of birth and place of work has been anonymised by the Times):

“Lab” – XX, born xxxx in X, and Swedish. KGB agent. Processing 1976-77. Employees at X in X (librarian). “Lab” agreed to the money supply technical-scientific documentation, including FOA works (the Swedish Department of Defense). 1981 refused “Lab” to participate, he was afraid of discovery. Meanwhile, the “Labs” work for the KGB department was paid more than 250,000 Swedish kronor to him for materials. “

last week, Lab for the first time see the KGB’s notes about him. We confront Lab outside a Coop store in his hometown, where he just acted food.

Without ado begins Lab – KGB code name that he says he had never heard before – tell us about the events at the end of 1970.

He states that at a dozen occasions over three or four years copied the international journal articles with technical-scientific content as his contact Vladimir Medovnikov asks to be allowed and which he left at meetings at various restaurants .

Copied articles

Regularly and every few months were treated Lab at lunch and got 500 crowns in an envelope.

In total, he he he received about 7 000, significantly less than what is stated in Mitrochins KGB archives:

– I got 500 dollars for nothing. So let them keep on with it then, I thought, so we’ll see how long it goes, says Lab.

Why did you sell papers?

– Yes, that is why I sold them? What did it matter?

You knew that he was from the Soviet Union?

– Yes, but what does it matter. What was that thing with the Soviet Union?

Lab denies that he would have received SEK 250 000 and that he would have sold details of Defence Research Establishment, FOA.

It was all in place according his own admission that he as a librarian copied articles as his Russian contacts asked to get out of various international journals.

The Lab is concerned about why the KGB archives is that he is an agent:

– I can not answer. Yes, why is it that I am a KGB agent? It can, of course … Yes, that was me of course then huh, if this man was employed by the KGB.

How do you see it today – you were KGB agent?

– Yes, well, the KGB. I extradited … I had no access to any secret information.

was recruited in different “phases”

In the 1970s, the KGB had seven retrieval areas in each country – or “lines “as it was called. One of them was industrial espionage:

– Industrial Line “X”, collects materials on science and technology in subject areas where they themselves are inferior, writes the now deceased SAPO-employee Tore Forsberg in a book from 2003.

In the book, called “spies and spies spying on spies,” describes also recruited the various phases: study phase, närmandefas, vänskapsfas and värvandefas:

– The most common way is that the information carrier will not be informed of its status as a recruit agent, said Forsberg.

One approach that could explain why the Lab is specified as a KGB agent without his own knowledge, and why he would deliver scientific articles.

Lab describes how everything changed after his first contact, Medovnikov, traveled home to the Soviet Union:

– He said that “there may destroy my career if you do not hit the next one.” Medovnikov panicked, so I agreed to meet with the successor. After a few months a guy came. I saw right away, “This is my new contact person”. It was as Fleksnes – trench coat, hat, dark glasses – as a template image.

Should receive secret letters

Now escalated tone up:

– He said that “this is not enough – we expect more.” He was aggressive and drove Marxist drivel, tells Lab.

The new contact wanted Lab would make himself the friend and invite Chinese students and that he would be “mailbox” – that is receiving letters from KGB agents who he without opening would turn over to the KGB contact.

When did Lab enough, he says, and stopped seeing his contact. After a few nocturnal mysterious phone calls stopped trying to keep in touch with Lab in 1981.

– Soviet Union wanted to recruit me, but did not succeed with it.

was sought by SAPO

In the late 1990s knocked suddenly two SAPO-men at the home of the Lab.

They had then – just like other Western intelligence services – gained access to Mitrochins KGB archives (which they did not tell Lab) and found his name:

– It was SAPO who told me that Medovnikov was a KGB man claiming Lab.

When Aftonbladet wonder why he did not contact the Security Service in 1981 and told him what happened, he says it was because he disliked SAPO methods:

– I know what the left was exposed in the early 70s through infiltration.

The two SAPO-men Lab met a total of ten hours on three occasions. They think that he acted naively and had been in trouble, but one of them says to Aftonbladet:

– What he told you is true, I would dare say.

Why does it say that the lab had SEK 250 000?

– People blowing things up. It would itself be significant. When do I get a “good agent,” as one blows up.

and stops the difference in your own pocket?

– I can not say it is so, but such things can happen, says SAPO-man.