FBI chief flies in for ‘mystery’ spy meet in Queenstown
FBI director James Comey was among the heavyweight guests who flew into Queenstown yesterday for a highly sensitive intelligence conference.
Comey, wearing sunglasses, a light blue shirt and chino pants, arrived on an FBI chartered Gulfstream Aerospace.
Comey was last in New Zealand in March 2016, when he met with Minister for the Government Communications and Security Bureau and Security Intelligence Service Chris Finlayson and Police Commissioner Mike Bush. Before Comey’s arrival, a CIA jet touched down on the tarmac at Queenstown Airport.
And, just like a scene out of an action flick, two security personnel stood guard as a number of men and women in suits exited the plane before being quickly ushered along the tarmac into waiting vehicles.
The white Gulfstream Aerospace’s presence in the town comes just a day after a similar private jet, which is reportedly owned by the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), was spotted at Wellington Airport.
The presence of the two Gulfstream jets adds to speculation that the “Government conference” set to play out at luxury Millbrook Resort in Arrowtown is a meeting of spying network Five Eyes — the global alliance of the US, the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
CIA director Mike Pompeo is among members from 15 agencies believed to be attending the conference.
Millbrook Resort manager Ross McLean confirmed yesterday that a “Government conference” was taking place at the venue but denied to provide any specific details.
“Millbrook is who we are because we do not disclose any information about any guests whether VIPs or just any couple,” McLean said.
McLean said important visitors typically enjoyed the fact that the resort was quite a “relaxed area”, unlike the “hustle and bustle of Queenstown”.
The Herald has been told the conference will run for a week.
Locals reported seeing snipers and bodyguards in Arrowtown earlier in the week.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Internal Affairs told the Herald that they were not involved in the visit, which was just as much of a mystery to them as the public.