SPIES IN NZ
ID theft and poison attacks
ARussian spy linked to the former double agent Sergei Skripal, poisoned by a nerve agent in Salisbury, England, was operating under a fake New Zealand identity, it has been revealed.
While 66-year-old Skripal and his daughter Yulia, 33, remain critically ill in hospital after being poisoned by what UK Prime Minister Theresa May said was a military-grade nerve agent, and that it was “highly likely” Russia was responsible, it’s now alleged a Russian agent who stole a dead New Zealand child’s name had known Skripal in Spain in the 1990s.
Sergei Cherepanov, a Russian agent undercover in Madrid, operated under the guise of David Frith — a New Zealand-born business consultant.
Spanish company records say his company, Frimor Consultores, was created on October 11, 1995.
Registration documents refer to Henry Frith, “born November 9, 1957, of New Zealand nationality”, and being the holder of a valid Spanish work
permit. Cherepanov’s phoney back story claimed he was born in Ecuador to an Ecuadorian mother and a New Zealand father, according to a 2016 expose´ by Brussels-based European affairs weekly newspaper, Politico Europe.
But Cherepanov’s fake history and background unravelled in 2010 thanks to the data leaked by the same man who unmasked Russian honeypot Anna Chapman in the US.
On June 28, 2010, “Frith” was approached by a British intelligence officer near his Madrid home.
“Have you got just a few minutes to chat with me?” the agent asked, according to a transcript of their recorded conversation provided to
Politico. As Frith feigned ignorance, the British spy impressed: “You see, I have your life in my hands.”
Frith repeatedly insisted it was a case of mistaken identity. The British agent suggested he become a double agent, and offered a good life in London.
The next day, Cherepanov fled back to Moscow.
Herald searches for “Henry Frith” in New Zealand returns no matches.
But Births, Deaths and Marriages records show a Lawrence Henry Frith born on November 30, 1936 to Noel Henry Frith and Joyce Hislop Culley.
Lawrence Henry Frith died in Hamilton, Waikato in either March 1937 or March 1938.
Hamilton City Council cemetery records shows a Laurence [sic] Henry Frith dying on March 15, 1938 and being buried in Hamilton East cemetery the following day.
His grave, visited by the Herald yesterday, shows he died on March 20, 1937, “aged 15 months”.
The youngster shares a gravesite with his great-granddad William Stephen who passed away aged 72, on April 17, 1941. Noel Frith died in 1979 and Joyce Frith four years earlier. Politico reported a European intelligence source suggesting the Frith identity could have been picked from the cemetery by a Russian embassy employee in New Zealand.
The Department of Internal Affairs says it has been aware of the “Frith” case for more than a decade.
A spokesman confirmed the passport was fraudulently acquired more than 20 years ago.
The New Zealand Security Intelligence Service refused to comment.