Articles by David Crowe

World

The petty criminals doing Putin’s dirty work – and causing chaos across Europe

Poland felt the impact of this kind of criminal damage on Monday, and Prime Minister Donald Tusk called it out as sabotage. Authorities revealed an explosion on a railway line south of Warsaw that was used for deliveries to Ukraine. Nobody was killed, but the destruction could have been lethal. The Polish Security Services Minister, Tomasz Siemoniak, said there was a “very high” chance the damage was done on the orders of a foreign spy service: “We are dealing with the services of a foreign state, and not a gang of scrap metal thieves.” Petty criminals in Germany, Poland and Britain are also being jailed for helping Russian spy agencies and their ultimate controller, Russian President Vladimir Putin, a former KGB officer in East Germany. The crimes range from vandalism to arson and attempted assassination. The pattern will be familiar to Australians after security agencies named Iran as the instigator of antisemitic attacks in Sydney and Melbourne over the past year, again, using low-level criminals. In Europe, however, the prosecutions are overwhelmingly about Russian influence.

Technology

Police investigate train attack suspect link to earlier stabbings

Police are also investigating if he is linked to a series of incidents around his home town of Peterborough, from where he boarded the train, including the stabbing of a 14-year-old boy on Friday, in the 24 hours before the attack. Deputy Chief Constable Stuart Cundy of the British Transport Police called for witnesses to come forward. “The criminal investigation and support for the victims is a priority for British Transport Police,” he said. “Our investigation is also looking at other possible linked offences.” Political leaders praised the driver of the high-speed train, who ensured it was transferred to a slower line and stopped within minutes of the attacks, and a crew member who shielded passengers and suffered grave injuries.