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National Security Investigations Team (New Zealand)

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The Special Investigation Group (SIG) is a New Zealand government group formed after 11 September 2001 to focus on threats to national security.

Purpose

The purpose of the group is clouded in controversy, following the revelation in December 2008 that Christchurch man Rob Gilchrist had been spying for SIG officers on individuals and organisations including Greenpeace, Iraq war protestors, student associations, animal rights and climate change campaigners.

The group was reportedly formed 'to focus on terrorism threats to national security' in response to September 11 but has been following the activities of peaceful organisations and individuals.[1]

History

The group has variously been reported as having been set up in 2004 or 2005. It seems funding for the group was announced in 2004 and the group was formed in 2005. The formation of a central Strategic Intelligence Unit was approved by the New Zealand government as early as January 2002.[2]

News that SIG existed first emerged in public media in December 2008, when it was reported that an exposed SIG spy had spied on political parties and organisations involved in peaceful, environmental, animal and human rights activities. Subsequent articles reported that SIG had been receiving information on a variety of organisations including unions, contrary to a prior claim that only individuals were targeted. [3]

SIG appears to be operated by New Zealand police in connection with the New Zealand Defence Force, Security Intelligence Service (SIS) and Government Communications Security Bureau (GCSB). The group reportedly has teams in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. An intelligence unit and a special tactics group was formed by police in 2002 to look into terrorism, at the same time as the SIS budget increased markedly and when Jon White was made Assistant Commissioner of Counter Terrorism.[4] SIG could operate alongside private investigators, many of the protest groups spied on by Rob Gilchrist for SIG were also spied on by private investigators Thompson and Clark.[5]

Officers involved in the group include Detective Peter Gilroy and Detective Senior Sergeant John Sjoberg, both named in connection with the Gilchrist incident. The Sunday Star Times reported, at the time the Gilchrist scandal broke, that Detective Peter Gilroy 'moved to New Zealand in 1973 from the London Metropolitan Police and was a member of the Armed Offenders Squad and then Special Tactics Group from 1975-1999, when he appears to have moved into police intelligence work'.[2]

Criticism and enquiry

Within days of details covering SIG activities being released into mainstream media in December 2008, New Zealanders began calling for a commission of enquiry into the group.[6]

SIG has been criticised for spying on peaceful protest and community organisations, wasting resources, and using "Stasi tactics and covert political operations that undermine democracy" (Keith Locke, Green Party police spokesperson). The group has also been criticised for "dangling money, public money, in front of protest group members, such as Gilchrist, in an attempt to [turn] them into spies" (Alan Liefting, Coalition spokesperson)[1], and for having "gone well outside its mandate" (Andrew Little, EPMU president).[3]

On 22 December 2008 the Maritime Union of New Zealand announced it had received legal advice and would seek further action. The union wants to know what information is held by police about itself.[7] Others who have already received SIG information about themselves include pacifist Harmeet Sooden, whose SIG files were released during a Scoop investigation in December 2008.[8]

References

  1. ^ a b Chief of police called in over spies, The New Zealand Herald, Lincoln Tan, 15 December 2008, retrieved 17 December 2008.
  2. ^ a b Who the police were spying on, Sunday Star Times, 14 December 2008, retrieved 17 December 2008.
  3. ^ a b Spy's targets contradict 'individuals only' claim, New Zealand Herald, Patrick Gower, 19 December 2008, retrieved 30 December 2008.
  4. ^ Police Terror Boss has Activist Harassment History, Scoop, Joseph Barratt, 26 October 2008, retrieved 30 December 2008.
  5. ^ Anti-terror squad spies on protest groups, Sunday Star Times, Nicky Hagar and Anthony Hubbard, 14 December 2008, retrieved 30 December 2008.
  6. ^ Call for commission of enquiry, NewstalkZB, 21 December 2008, retrieved 30 December 2008.
  7. ^ Maritime Union to pursue further action over spy, Scoop, MU Press Release, 22 December 2008, retrieved 30 December 2008.
  8. ^ State Of It: Police SIG Unit Wasted On Tag-Busting, Scoop, Selwyn Manning, 19 December 2008, retrieved 30 December 2008.
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