Assets of accused Russian spies restrained

A Brisbane couple accused of spying for Russia won’t be able to sell their home after the Australian Federal Police sought an order to confiscate the apartment and their other financial assets.

Kira Korolev, an Australian Defence Force army private, and her husband Igor became the first Australians to be charged with espionage since 2018 after allegedly working together to leak state secrets to Russia.

The pair was charged on July 11 with one count each of preparing for an espionage offence, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years’ imprisonment.

The AFP-led Criminal Assets Confiscation Taskforce (CACT) is seeking to confiscate the married couple’s apartment and financial savings under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (Commonwealth).

Last Friday, the Queensland Supreme Court made restraining orders over property owned by the couple, valued in excess of $550,000.

The property subject to the restraining orders includes a Brisbane apartment owned by the couple, multiple bank accounts, and the superannuation funds acquired by Ms Korolev during her employment with the ADF.

Ms Korolev, 40, was employed with the ADF as an information systems technician for “several years”.

It’s alleged she undertook non-declared travel to Russia while on leave from the ADF and instructed her 60-year-old husband Igor – who remained in Australia – to log into her work account from their Brisbane home.

The couple allegedly unlawfully accessed, copied and disseminated information from the Department of Defence computer systems that concerned the national security of Australia, according to court documents.

The Commonwealth will also allege the married couple maintained a relationship with members of affiliates of the Russian Federation Intelligence Services for purposes of providing the information she had illegally obtained from the Department of Defence.

The couple have not entered pleas to the charge against them and remain in custody on remand. They are next scheduled to appear in court on September 20.

The proceeds of crime proceedings and the criminal case both remain before the courts.

AFP CACT Acting Commander Amelia McDonald said the AFP and its partners would hold people to account and make sure they could lawfully justify the wealth and assets they accumulated.

“The AFP has a two-pronged strategy for combating illegal activity – investigation and criminal prosecutions; and also confiscating wealth from people who try to operate outside of the law,” Acting Commander McDonald said.

The AFP-led CACT brings together the resources and expertise of the AFP, Australian Taxation Office, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, AUSTRAC and Australian Border Force.

It was launched in March 2011 and permanently established in 2012 trace, restrain and ultimately confiscate criminal assets.