Has Iran's War Reached Toronto?

🇨🇦🔥 Has Iran's War Reached Toronto? | Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up

This week on Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS Intelligence Officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — examines a series of troubling security incidents that raise an important and uncomfortable question:

Could international conflict now be influencing events here in Canada?

In recent days, multiple synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area were struck by gunfire, followed shortly afterward by shots fired at the United States Consulate in downtown Toronto.

While investigators have not confirmed that these incidents are connected, the timing has raised serious national security concerns — particularly as tensions involving Iran, Israel, and the United States continue to escalate internationally.

In this episode, Neil breaks down how intelligence agencies evaluate incidents like these through a national security lens — examining patterns, geopolitical context, and the possibility that global conflicts can influence domestic security environments.

Beyond Canada, the episode also explores a series of international intelligence developments:

🕵️ Iranian-linked surveillance activity targeting Jewish institutions in the United Kingdom
💻 A suspected Chinese cyber intrusion involving an FBI surveillance network
🌍 Renewed debate about whether Canada should create its own foreign intelligence HUMINT service
🔥 A remarkable Russian-linked sabotage operation involving incendiary parcels sent through international courier networks

Drawing on open-source reporting and over two decades of intelligence experience, this episode connects the dots between geopolitics, espionage, sabotage, and domestic security threats.

Because in the modern intelligence environment, conflicts rarely stay confined to one battlefield.

They unfold through proxy networks, cyber operations, influence campaigns, and covert intelligence activity — often affecting countries thousands of kilometres away from the original crisis.

🎧 Before you press play, consider these questions:

❓ Could geopolitical tensions involving Iran be influencing acts of violence or intimidation inside Canada?
❓ Why are religious institutions and diplomatic facilities often targeted during international conflicts?
❓ How do intelligence agencies determine whether multiple incidents represent a pattern or coincidence?
❓ What role do proxy groups and sleeper networks play in modern intelligence operations?
❓ Why are Western security agencies increasingly concerned about Iranian intelligence activities abroad?
❓ What could a Chinese cyber intrusion into an FBI surveillance system reveal to foreign intelligence services?
❓ Does Canada need its own foreign HUMINT intelligence service similar to the CIA or MI6?
❓ How are Russian intelligence services using proxy actors and global logistics networks for sabotage operations?

All of these questions — and more — are examined through intelligence tradecraft, geopolitical analysis, and real-world national security experience.

If you want to better understand how global intelligence competition can affect Canada’s security environment, this episode is for you.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 — Intro
01:50 — Welcome & Episode Overview
03:00 — Synagogues Targeted by Gunfire in Toronto
09:00 — Shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto
14:30 — CSIS Warning About Iranian Proxy Threats
18:30 — How Iran Could Influence Security in Canada
23:30 — Iranian Spy Investigation in the United Kingdom
27:30 — Chinese Hack of FBI Surveillance

Transcript

2026 03 13 Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap Up

INTRO:

This week on the Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, Neil Bisson — retired CSIS intelligence officer and Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network — examines a series of security developments that highlight how global tensions and intelligence competition are increasingly affecting events here in Canada and across the Western world.

The episode begins in Toronto, where several synagogues were targeted by gunfire over a matter of days, raising serious concerns within the Jewish community and prompting a major investigation by police and national security authorities.

Neil also looks at the shooting at the United States Consulate in downtown Toronto — an incident now being treated as a national security investigation and one that underscores how diplomatic facilities can become symbolic targets during periods of international tension.

The episode then explores warnings from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service that threats linked to Iran and its network of proxy actors remain persistent, particularly when geopolitical conflicts abroad begin influencing security conditions within diaspora communities.

Beyond Canada, Neil examines developments in the United Kingdom where police are investigating suspected Iranian-linked surveillance activities targeting Jewish institutions.

He also looks at a suspected Chinese cyber intrusion involving an FBI surveillance network in the United States, highlighting the ongoing challenge of defending sensitive law enforcement systems from state-sponsored cyber espionage.

The episode also revisits the long-standing debate over whether Canada should establish its own foreign intelligence service capable of recruiting human sources abroad.

And finally, Neil breaks down a remarkable sabotage case in Europe involving Russian-linked operatives who attempted to send incendiary devices through international courier networks — a case that illustrates how modern intelligence services increasingly rely on proxy actors and global infrastructure to conduct covert operations.

Let’s get started.

MUSIC

Hello and welcome back to the Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap Up. 

I’m your host, Neil Bisson, a retired Intelligence Officer with CSIS and the Director of the Global Intelligence Knowledge Network. 
Each week, I take the biggest news articles on National Security, Foreign Interference, International Espionage, Sabotage and Terrorism and give you the insights, analysis and intelligence you need to understand how these stories affect your country, your career and your safety. 

It’s been another busy week, from shootings in Toronto on religious sites and the US Consulate to a Chinese state sponsored cyber-hack of FBI surveillance systems. 

There’s a lot to discuss so let’s get into it. 

We start in Toronto Canada for our first stories and main focus this week. 

Several Jewish institutions in the Greater Toronto Area have recently been targeted by gunfire, raising serious concerns within the Jewish community and among Canadian security officials.

Although no injuries have been reported in any of the incidents, the attacks occurred within a short period of time and involved multiple religious institutions, prompting increased police patrols and heightened security measures around synagogues and community centres across the region.

These incidents are unfolding during a period of heightened geopolitical tension following the outbreak of conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States, adding further concern about whether international developments could be influencing security conditions within Canada.

The first reported incident occurred on March 2, 2026, at approximately 10:49 p.m., when gunfire struck Temple Emanu-El in North York shortly after a Purim celebration had concluded.

The synagogue building was hit by several rounds shortly after a Purim celebration had concluded. 

The rabbi was reportedly still inside the building at the time, but no one was injured.
Just days later, additional incidents were reported.

During the overnight hours of March 6th and 7th, two more synagogues were struck by gunfire within roughly thirty minutes of each other.

Shortly before midnight, gunfire struck the Beth Avraham Yoseph of Toronto synagogue in Thornhill, damaging the entrance area of the building.

Approximately half an hour later, shots were fired at Shaarei Shomayim Synagogue in North York, where bullet damage was discovered near the main entrance.

Although investigators have not confirmed that the incidents are connected, the close timing of the attacks has raised concerns about whether the shootings represent a pattern, coordinated activity, or potentially copy-cat incidents.

Toronto police increased patrols around Jewish institutions following the attacks while investigators began examining surveillance footage and other evidence to identify possible suspects.

Authorities have also confirmed that Toronto Police’s Hate Crime Unit has joined the investigation, reflecting concerns that the shootings may have been motivated by antisemitism or other forms of targeted hate.

Jewish institutions have historically been targeted during periods of heightened geopolitical tension involving Israel or conflicts in the Middle East.

Security experts note that houses of worship, community centres, and religious schools are often viewed by perpetrators as symbolic targets representing broader political or ideological grievances.

In Canada, incidents targeting religious institutions quickly attract national security attention, particularly when multiple attacks occur within a short timeframe or when geopolitical tensions are elevated.

The synagogue shootings in Toronto occurred at a time when the conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States has significantly escalated, raising broader questions about whether tensions abroad are influencing acts of intimidation or violence within diaspora communities.

From an intelligence perspective, incidents like these are often analyzed through what security professionals term a pattern-of-activity assessment.

Even when investigators have not yet identified a common perpetrator or motive, analysts examine the timing, locations, targets, and geopolitical environment surrounding the incidents.

Religious institutions and diplomatic facilities are frequently viewed as symbolic targets during periods of international tension because they represent political, national, or cultural identities connected to global events.

At this stage, investigators have not confirmed whether the synagogue shootings are connected to one another or to any broader geopolitical developments.

However, the incidents have heightened security concerns across Toronto’s Jewish community and prompted increased vigilance around religious institutions.

Prime Minister Mark Carney has publicly condemned the shootings and confirmed that federal authorities, including the RCMP, would assist local police in identifying those responsible.

When multiple attacks occur within a short period of time — particularly during periods of international conflict — security agencies inevitably examine them through a broader national security lens.

As we will see in the next segment, the Jewish community in Toronto aren’t the only one’s dealing with acts of violence since the start of the conflict in Iran. 

MUSIC 

Only days after several synagogues in the Greater Toronto Area were targeted by gunfire, another serious security incident occurred in the city when shots were fired at the United States Consulate in downtown Toronto.

Authorities quickly classified the incident as a national security investigation, reflecting the seriousness of any attack targeting a diplomatic facility.

The incident has occurred during a period of heightened geopolitical tensions following the outbreak of military conflict involving Iran, Israel, and the United States.

Toronto police say the shooting occurred during the early morning hours of March 10th at approximately 5:30 a.m., outside the U.S. Consulate building located on University Avenue in downtown Toronto.

According to investigators, two suspects exited a vehicle near the diplomatic building and fired multiple handgun rounds toward the structure before fleeing the scene.

Police later said the suspects were driving a white Honda SUV before exiting the vehicle and firing multiple rounds at the building. 

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police INSET or Integrated National Security Enforcement Teams, who are specialized multi-agency units led by RCMP designed to investigate criminal threats to Canada’s national security, have now joined the investigation, which authorities are treating as a national security incident.

Police later confirmed that shell casings were recovered near the building and that the exterior of the consulate had been struck by gunfire.

Despite the attack, no injuries were reported. 

Diplomatic buildings are typically reinforced and protected by extensive security measures designed to withstand potential threats.

Authorities launched a coordinated investigation involving Toronto Police, federal authorities, and national security investigators.

Diplomatic facilities are protected under international law through the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, which requires host countries to protect foreign embassies and consulates operating within their territory.

In recent weeks the consulate has also been the site of demonstrations connected to the conflict in Iran. 

Protests linked to the war have taken place outside diplomatic buildings in several cities, highlighting how international conflicts can generate strong reactions within diaspora communities.

Because diplomatic missions represent the sovereign interests of another country, attacks targeting these facilities are treated as particularly serious incidents and often trigger immediate national security investigations.

In response to the shooting, security was increased around U.S. and Israeli diplomatic facilities in Canada while investigators worked to determine the motive behind the attack.

Authorities also confirmed that additional security precautions were implemented at several diplomatic locations as investigators assess whether the incident could be connected to broader geopolitical tensions.

From a national security perspective, incidents targeting diplomatic missions are never treated as routine criminal activity.

Even when the perpetrators may ultimately turn out to be individuals acting independently, investigators must examine the broader geopolitical context in which the attack occurred.

I recently had the opportunity to appear on CTV News to discuss this event. 

I noted that incidents like this must be analyzed carefully through a wider intelligence lens, particularly when they occur during periods of escalating international tensions.

When attacks occur against symbolic targets such as religious institutions or diplomatic facilities, intelligence agencies must determine whether the events are isolated incidents, terrorist inspired, copy-cat actions, or potentially influenced global conflicts through political actors like Iranian sleeper cells.

Authorities, at the time or recording, have not confirmed that the synagogue shootings and the attack on the U.S. Consulate are connected.

However, the timing of these incidents, which occurred in mere days of each other and during a period of heightened geopolitical tension, means investigators will likely examine them collectively as part of a broader security assessment.

For intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, the challenge will be determining whether these incidents represent isolated acts of violence or early indicators of a wider pattern linked to international tensions.

MUSIC

With the recent acts of violence in Toronto against cultural groups and a foreign consulate, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service has recently provided information to the media. 

Canada’s domestic intelligence agency says the threat environment associated with Iran and its network of proxies remains steady, but persistent.

According to the CSIS, the level of concern regarding Iranian activity in Canada has not significantly changed, but intelligence officials assess that the threat is likely to continue for the foreseeable future. 

These concerns come at a time when tensions connected to Iran are increasingly affecting domestic security environments in Western countries.

The warning also comes in the context of recent incidents in Canada, including the shooting at the U.S. Consulate in Toronto and attacks targeting Jewish religious institutions. 

As I’ve already mentioned, I recently appeared on CTV News to discuss these developments from a national security perspective and how geopolitical conflicts can sometimes influence security threats inside Canada.

CSIS officials say Iranian state actors and their affiliated proxy organizations continue to pose a range of national security concerns. 

These concerns include foreign interference, intimidation of diaspora communities, and the potential for politically motivated violence.

Iran has long relied on a network of proxy organizations across the Middle East and beyond. 

These groups are used to project influence and conduct operations that allow Tehran to maintain a degree of distance from the activity itself.

Looking at this through a national security lens, this proxy model creates significant challenges for intelligence and law enforcement agencies. 

It complicates attribution and allows state actors to pursue strategic objectives while maintaining plausible deniability.

With this in mind we look at how Canada can be affected by the Iranian regime here at home. 

MUSIC

Here in Canada, authorities are particularly attentive to the possibility that international conflicts or political developments abroad can inspire violence or intimidation within diaspora communities or against diplomatic facilities.

Canada has taken several significant steps over the past decade to address the threat posed by Iran and its security apparatus.

In 2012, Canada formally designated Iran as a state sponsor of terrorism under Canadian law. 

This designation reflected the Iranian regime’s long-standing support for militant groups operating in the Middle East and elsewhere.

More recently, in June 2024, the Government of Canada listed the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, as a terrorist entity under the Criminal Code. 

The IRGC is a powerful branch of Iran’s military establishment responsible for protecting the regime and conducting operations abroad through its specialized units and proxy networks.

Under Canadian law, listing the IRGC as a terrorist entity means it is illegal to knowingly participate in or support the organization. 

This is where proxy organisations thrive. The participants of violent activities can claim no affiliation to these groups, thus lessening the association to a terrorist entity and allowing groups like the IRGC to continually recruit them. 

The terrorist listing also provides Canadian authorities with additional legal tools to investigate, disrupt, and prosecute individuals involved in financing or facilitating its activities.

The IRGC has been linked to the support, training, and funding of multiple militant organizations that Canada has already designated as terrorist groups.

Iran’s use of proxy organizations is a long-standing strategy designed to extend influence while limiting direct accountability.

Rather than conducting operations through official state personnel, Tehran frequently works through affiliated groups, militias, and informal networks that can carry out activities aligned with Iranian strategic interests.

This approach allows the Iranian regime to pursue objectives ranging from regional influence to intimidation of critics abroad while complicating attribution and response.

In the Canadian context, intelligence agencies remain particularly focused on threats involving diaspora intimidation, foreign interference, and the potential for politically motivated violence linked to international conflicts.

The warning from CSIS underscores a broader reality facing democratic societies today: international conflicts do not always remain confined to far off lands.

Many homeland issues follow asylum seekers, making Canada more vulnerable to the repercussions of these conflicts and violence. 

Through proxy networks, diaspora intimidation, and ideological influence, geopolitical tensions can sometimes manifest inside domestically secure environments.

As I discussed in detail in last week’s episode of Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up, where I examined how the Iran conflict could affect Canada, these risks are becoming an increased possibility. 

When geopolitical tensions escalate, intelligence services often anticipate that the ripple effects may appear far from the original conflict zone.

What we are now seeing in Canada — including heightened security concerns and incidents targeting diplomatic and community institutions — reinforces why understanding these dynamics early is so important for national security planning and public awareness.

Doug Ford, the Premiere of Ontario, recently mentioned Iranian Sleeper cells as being the possible culprits in the recent attacks on synagogues and the US Consulate in Toronto. 

Although it is still early on in the investigation of these attacks, it cannot go without consideration that this may be the case. 

The Canadian immigration and legal systems have and still do allow for IRGC members to immigrate to the country and even when identified, these individuals remain difficult, if not impossible to deport. 

This lack of coordinated effort between the efforts of the Canadian Intelligence Community to identify potential members of sleeper cells and immigration and legal systems to imprison and or deport them, places Canadians and Canada a greater risk. 

Continued vigilance and increased scrutiny regarding security screening from geographic areas of the world were theocratic regimes rule, and conflict among religious groups is prominent, is not a suggestion, it’s a necessity to Canada and Canadians safe. 

MUSIC

We move onto the UK for our next segment, where British counter-terrorism police have been granted additional time to question a group of suspects arrested on suspicion of spying on behalf of Iran. 

The arrests were carried out in coordinated raids across parts of northwest London and involve individuals suspected of conducting surveillance on locations and individuals connected to the Jewish community.

Authorities say the investigation falls under the United Kingdom’s National Security Act, legislation designed to counter foreign state interference and hostile intelligence activity on British soil.

Four men were arrested during early-morning operations conducted by counter-terrorism police in several London-area communities. 

The suspects include one Iranian national and three dual British Iranian citizens.

Police believe the group may have been conducting surveillance on behalf of Iranian intelligence services. 

Investigators are examining whether locations connected to Jewish institutions or members of the Jewish community were being monitored.

Under British law, authorities must seek judicial approval to extend detention while suspects are questioned in national security investigations. 

Police successfully applied for additional time, allowing detectives to continue interrogations and gather further evidence as the investigation progresses.

Several other individuals were also detained during the operation on suspicion of assisting the suspects, although some have since been released on bail pending further investigation.

The arrests come amid increasing concern across Europe about Iranian intelligence activities targeting dissidents, journalists, and Jewish communities abroad.

Security services in the United Kingdom have previously warned that Iran has been linked to multiple plots involving surveillance, intimidation, and potential attacks against individuals living in Britain. 

These activities are often associated with efforts by the Iranian regime to silence critics, intimidate opposition figures, or retaliate against perceived enemies.

Western intelligence agencies have also noted that Iran frequently relies on intermediaries or locally recruited individuals to conduct surveillance or preparatory activities, allowing Tehran to maintain a degree of plausible deniability.

From an intelligence perspective, cases like this highlight how foreign intelligence services increasingly rely on diaspora networks, dual nationals, or locally recruited individuals to carry out surveillance and operational preparation.

These types of activities often begin with seemingly low-level intelligence collection — photographing buildings, identifying routines, or tracking individuals — but can escalate into intimidation campaigns or even operational planning for attacks.

For security services, detecting and disrupting these early stages is critical, as surveillance activity is often the first step in more serious hostile state operations.

The decision to grant police additional time to question the suspects reflects the seriousness of the investigation and the complexity of countering foreign intelligence activity inside democratic societies.

As tensions involving Iran continue to play out globally, Western security agencies remain increasingly focused on detecting and disrupting foreign intelligence operations operating within their borders.

The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities have indicated that further developments could emerge as detectives continue examining the suspects’ activities and possible links to foreign intelligence services.

MUSIC

We head south for our next segment Where in the United States investigators are examining a cyber intrusion involving an internal Federal Bureau of Investigation network that stores information related to domestic surveillance orders. 

Early reporting suggests that hackers linked to the Chinese government may be responsible for the breach, raising fresh concerns about cyber-espionage targeting sensitive U.S. law-enforcement systems. 

The incident highlights the ongoing challenge Western governments face in defending critical intelligence and law-enforcement networks against sophisticated state-sponsored cyber actors.

According to officials familiar with the investigation, the breach involved an FBI system that contains sensitive information associated with surveillance activities. 

The system itself is unclassified but holds law-enforcement-sensitive data connected to individuals under investigation. 

Authorities detected suspicious activity within the network and launched an investigation to determine the scope of the intrusion. 

Early indications suggest that the attackers used advanced techniques to gain access, prompting a coordinated response involving multiple U.S. agencies.

While the investigation remains ongoing, U.S. officials suspect that the cyber operation may be linked to Chinese state-affiliated hackers. 

If confirmed, it would represent another example of Beijing’s long-running cyber-espionage campaigns targeting government systems, telecommunications infrastructure, and sensitive political or intelligence data.

Cyber-espionage targeting government networks has become a central feature of modern intelligence competition between major powers. 

Over the past decade, Western intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned that Chinese state-linked cyber groups conduct persistent intrusions aimed at collecting strategic intelligence.

Unlike traditional espionage operations involving human agents, cyber operations allow foreign intelligence services to penetrate networks remotely and extract large volumes of information with relatively low risk.

These operations often focus on unclassified but sensitive systems that store operational data, investigative records, or communications metadata. 

Even when classified material is not accessed, the information obtained can still provide valuable intelligence insights into investigative priorities, surveillance techniques, and government operations.

From an intelligence perspective, breaches involving surveillance systems are particularly concerning because they can reveal how security agencies monitor threats, what types of data they collect, and which individuals or organizations may be under investigation.

Foreign intelligence services can use this type of information to identify investigative patterns, evade detection, or gain insight into law-enforcement methods. 

In some cases, the information could even be used to warn intelligence targets that they are being monitored.

Cyber-operations like this also demonstrate how state-sponsored hackers increasingly operate at the intersection of espionage and strategic competition, targeting not only military or classified systems but also the digital infrastructure supporting law-enforcement and intelligence activities.

The suspected breach of the FBI network underscores the growing importance of cybersecurity in national security and intelligence operations.

As cyber-espionage capabilities continue to expand, government agencies face the ongoing challenge of protecting sensitive investigative systems from sophisticated foreign adversaries.

China has continuously demonstrated their willingness and ability to attack western countries data from intelligence and law enforcement agencies. 

The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, and U.S. authorities are continuing to assess both the scope of the intrusion and the potential impact on law-enforcement and intelligence operations.

However, from my professional perspective, this gives the Chinese government an edge over these organisations and allows them to monitor whether their intelligence operations or human sources are being identified. 

It also provides them insight into who may be providing information to western nations about the People’s Republic of China, compromising western counterintelligence operations. 

MUSIC

We’re back in Canada for our next segment, where a new study examining Canada’s long-standing debate over whether the country should establish a dedicated foreign intelligence service has renewed discussion about the country’s intelligence architecture. 

The research traces decades of internal government deliberations on whether Canada should create an agency capable of collecting intelligence abroad through human sources, similar to organizations such as the CIA or MI6.

The study suggests that Canada’s hesitation to create such a service has been shaped by several factors, including the influence of allied intelligence partners, financial considerations, and internal bureaucratic debates within the federal government.

The question of whether Canada should operate its own foreign intelligence service has existed for decades. 

Internal government discussions about creating a CIA-style agency date back to the period following the Second World War and have resurfaced periodically ever since.

Despite these recurring discussions, successive Canadian governments have ultimately chosen not to establish a dedicated foreign espionage service.

One factor highlighted in the study is Canada’s close intelligence relationship with its allies, particularly the United States and the United Kingdom. 

The thinking being, that because Canada participates in highly integrated intelligence-sharing arrangements, including cooperation within the Five Eyes alliance, decision-makers have historically concluded that Canada could obtain much of the foreign intelligence it required from trusted partners.

This thinking is both naïve and dangerous. 

Because what is, unfortunately, not recognized nor discussed is that strategic intelligence for the prosperity of their country is a priority for intelligence organizations like MI6, the CIA and ASIS or the Australian Secret Intelligence Service. 

Foreign based HUMINT Intelligence organizations focus on collecting information on classified top secret priority matters relating to the military, political and economic prosperity of their own countries. 

This means that they are not looking out for Canada’s best interests in these areas. 

They are understandably looking out for their own. 

If information about a major economic bid from the UK, US, and Canada to a third non five eye country is in the works, the CIA, and MI6 can and will provide a clear advantage to their governments to try and ensure their country’s own interests. 

Just recently Canada has continued to identify the need to increase our miliary might. 

The only country looking out for our interests in achieving any military advantage against other countries is Canada. 

From a political perspective, Canada is one of the only 5 eye countries that will continually lose political influence around the world due to the fact that the United States, United Kingdom and Australia all use well placed foreign sources in other governments to ensure the political aspirations of their politicians is achieved worldwide. 

The world has become, arguably, more divisive and competitive than ever. 

Militarily, Economically and Politically. 

Yet another factor in this situation is cost. 

Establishing and sustaining a foreign intelligence HUMINT organization is expensive. 

Foreign intelligence services require officers posted overseas, operational infrastructure, training programs, and diplomatic and non-official cover across multiple countries. 

For a middle power such as Canada, governments have often questioned whether the investment would produce sufficient strategic benefit.

The honest answer: it would! but not immediately. 

The economic, political and military advantages that foreign HUMINT organizations bring to their countries is the reason they continue to operate and are incredibly well funded by their governments. 

They feed intelligence back to their governments’ which allows them to dominate the global markets, prepare against the military challenges of adversaries and allies, and maintain or increase political influence around the world. 

However, Canada’s intelligence system is somewhat unusual among Western democracies. 

Most major allies maintain separate agencies responsible for domestic security intelligence and foreign intelligence collection.

In Canada, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service focuses on national security threats affecting Canada, while other departments — including Global Affairs Canada (under the Global Security Reporting Program), Communications Security Establishment, and the Canadian Armed Forces (only in times of conflict) contribute to foreign intelligence collection and analysis in specific and more limited ways.

However, Canada does not operate a stand-alone foreign espionage service dedicated to recruiting human sources abroad to gather political, military, or economic intelligence.

Historical government records show that Canadian officials have repeatedly examined the possibility of creating such a capability over the decades, illustrating that the idea has never completely disappeared from the policy agenda.

As I have already demonstrated, supporters of a Canadian foreign intelligence service argue that relying heavily on allied intelligence creates potential gaps in Canada’s strategic awareness.

Foreign intelligence services collect information that directly supports national policy decisions, including diplomatic negotiations, economic strategy, and geopolitical assessments. 

Without a dedicated capability of its own, Canada may be forced to rely on the priorities and reporting of its allies.

Which we have seen, can goals counter to our own. 

Critics, however, caution that creating a new intelligence service would be costly and could introduce additional oversight and accountability challenges. 

My response to this is, “of course it will!” but that’s the job of responsible government. 

The debate over whether Canada should establish a foreign intelligence service is far from new. 

For more than seventy years, Canadian governments have periodically examined the idea but ultimately chose not to move forward.

Yet shifting geopolitical tensions, concerns about foreign interference, and evolving global security challenges are again prompting questions about whether Canada needs to expand its foreign intelligence capabilities.

The longer the Canadian Government waits to decide on forming a dedicated foreign HUMINT organization, the longer our adversaries, and allies, are leaps and bounds ahead of us.

This inactivity jeopardizes Canada’s prosperity, security and influence on the world stage. 

MUSIC

For our final segment this week, we go to the United Kingdom and Lithuania, where investigative reporting by the BBC has revealed new details about a Russian-linked sabotage operation that involved sending parcels containing hidden incendiary devices through international courier networks.

The story centres on Aleksandr Suranovas, a 53-year-old Lithuanian man of Russian ethnicity who has been charged with terrorism in Lithuania for his role in sending the packages.

According to investigators, the plot formed part of a wider operation linked to Russian military intelligence, the GRU, and involved a network of individuals recruited across Europe to prepare and move the parcels through commercial shipping systems.

The operation began in July 2024, when Suranovas was contacted through the messaging app Telegram by an acquaintance in Russia identified only by the initials “HK.”

HK offered Suranovas paid work posting parcels internationally. 

The payment was relatively small, about €150 for a couple of hours’ work, and Suranovas agreed to send the packages without knowing what was concealed inside them.

If you think this is suspicious, you’re right. 

This is how the gig economy for proxy sabotage agents of the Russian Intelligence Services work. 

“Don’t ask. Don’t tell and get paid a few bucks for doing it”

Sabotage is the new gig economy in Europe.

According to the investigation, Suranovas was instructed to collect four parcels in Vilnius, Lithuania, and send them to addresses in London, Birmingham and Warsaw using commercial courier companies DHL and DPD.

The parcels appeared to contain ordinary consumer items, including cosmetics, body lotion, massage cushions and other products.

However, investigators later discovered the items had been modified to conceal sophisticated incendiary devices.

Tubes of cosmetics had been refilled with liquid explosive material, while ignition timers were hidden inside massage cushions placed inside the boxes.

Another individual in the network — Vladislav Derkavets, a Ukrainian national — had prepared the devices and activated the timers before the parcels were passed to Suranovas for shipment.

Communication within the network was conducted primarily through Telegram, where handlers issued instructions, arranged meeting points and coordinated the operation remotely.

Participants often knew only a small portion of the operation and communicated with individuals using nicknames such as HK or “Warrior.”

After collecting the parcels in a park in central Vilnius, Suranovas shipped them through courier offices where CCTV footage later confirmed him sending the packages through DHL and DPD facilities near Vilnius airport.

Within days of the parcels being shipped, the devices began igniting across Europe.

On the 20th of July 2024, one package burst into flames at Leipzig airport in Germany shortly before it was scheduled to be loaded onto a cargo aircraft bound for London.

Another device exploded inside a DPD delivery truck outside Warsaw, while a third ignited at a DHL warehouse in Birmingham in the United Kingdom. 

A fourth device malfunctioned.

Fortunately, no one was injured, but the incidents triggered a major multinational investigation.

Authorities have since arrested more than twenty individuals across Lithuania and Poland in connection with the plot.

Investigators believe the operation may have been intended to test vulnerabilities in international logistics networks or potentially disrupt cargo transportation routes supporting Ukraine’s allies.

From an intelligence perspective, this case highlights the growing use of proxy actors and criminal intermediaries in modern sabotage operations.

Instead of deploying trained intelligence officers directly, state actors can recruit individuals through criminal networks or online contacts and direct their activities remotely using encrypted communications platforms.

Each participant often performs a limited task — transporting materials, assembling devices, or shipping parcels — without fully understanding the broader operation.

As regular listeners know, I teach a course at the University of Ottawa’s Professional Development Institute, and this case reflects exactly the kind of operational model discussed in “Sabotage and Proxy Operations in Modern Intelligence.”

In that course, I examine how hostile intelligence services increasingly rely on distributed proxy networks, encrypted communications, and commercial infrastructure such as logistics systems to carry out disruptive activities while maintaining plausible deniability.

The case involving Aleksandr Suranovas provides a rare window into how modern sabotage operations can unfold.

Individuals are recruited through informal networks, instructions are delivered remotely through encrypted messaging applications, and global supply chains are used to move devices across multiple countries.

Whether the ultimate objective was to intimidate Western governments, disrupt logistics networks, or test vulnerabilities in aviation cargo systems remains unclear.

But the investigation highlights a growing trend in modern intelligence competition — the use of proxy actors to conduct sabotage operations while the true organizers remain far removed from the scene.

As the conflict in Iran continues, these kinds of proxy sabotage operations need to be considered as potential threats against North American infrastructure, supply chains, warehouses and shipping routes.

 The IRGC, Hezbollah, and Houthis are all state sponsored organizations whose primary benefactor is Iran. 

Just like the attacks in the UK, Lithuania, Germany and other parts of Europe, these groups could use cut outs or proxies to conduct similar attacks here in Canada and the United States. 

Well, that’s it for this week. 

As always, the articles for the segments of this episode are in the transcript. 

I highly recommend that you read them for yourself. 

The amount of information available is overwhelming and often misleading. That’s why I try to provide you with the analysis, insights and intelligence you need to understand how and why these stories affect your everyday. 

Until next week, stay curious. Stay informed and stay safe. 

MUSIC

OUTRO:
That wraps up this week’s Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up.

Thank you for listening.

From the shootings targeting synagogues in Toronto, to the national security investigation surrounding the attack on the United States Consulate, to warnings from Canadian intelligence officials about the persistent threat posed by Iranian proxies, this week’s stories demonstrate how international tensions can quickly influence security conditions here at home.

Beyond Canada, we also examined suspected Iranian intelligence activity in the United Kingdom, a cyber intrusion linked to Chinese state-sponsored hackers targeting an FBI system in the United States, and the continuing debate about whether Canada should develop its own foreign HUMINT intelligence capability.

And in Europe, the investigation into Russian-linked sabotage parcels moving through commercial courier networks offered a rare glimpse into how modern intelligence services increasingly rely on proxy actors, encrypted communications, and global supply chains to conduct covert operations.

Taken together, these developments highlight a broader reality of today’s security environment.
Espionage, cyber operations, proxy sabotage, and foreign influence campaigns are no longer distant or isolated events. 

They are part of a continuous global competition unfolding across borders, institutions, and critical infrastructure.

Producing the Global Intelligence Weekly Wrap-Up requires constant monitoring of global reporting, intelligence assessments, and emerging national security developments in order to provide clear and practical analysis each week.

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And as Neil always reminds us:

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Links:

Segment 1) Multiple Synagogues Targeted by Gunfire in Toronto
https://globalnews.ca/news/11722703/jewish-leaders-toronto-synagogue-shootings/

Segment 2) Shooting at U.S. Consulate Raises National Security Concerns
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/toronto-police-say-us-consulate-struck-by-gunfire-9.7121843

Segment 3) CSIS says threat level associated with Iran or its proxies remains unchanged, likely to continue
https://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/article/csis-says-threat-level-associated-with-iran-or-its-proxies-remains-unchanged-likely-to-continue/

Segment 4) Police Given More Time to Question Iran Spying Suspects
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clygp7gp8nqo

Segment 5) US suspects China in breach of FBI surveillance network, WSJ reports
https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/boards-policy-regulation/us-suspects-china-breach-fbi-surveillance-network-wsj-reports-2026-03-06/

Segment 6) Debate over a foreign spy service for Canada influenced by allies, money: study
https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/debate-over-a-foreign-spy-service-for-canada-influenced-by-allies-money-study/

Segment 7) Inside the Russian Explosives Plot that sent incendiary parcels to the UK
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cpd83zwqlvno