Security &

Counter-Surveillance
Revised & Updated:
New Surveillance Technology & Techniques
New Section on Informant & Infiltration Operations
Information Against te !olice State
Contents
2009 edition; Vancouver !anada"!oast Salish Territory
1"Introduction#########################$
#" Surveillance $
$" Security $
%" !rinciples of Surveillance $
&" !ysical Surveillance############## %
Operator&s & Vehicles %
'i(ed Surveillance %
)o*ile Surveillance %
'our +hases of )o*ile############# ,
Other 'orms ,
'" (ecnical Surveillance ,
Telecommunications ,
-istening .evices##################/
+ara*olic )ics /
Video !ameras#################### 0
Still +hotography 0
Trac1ing .evices 0
2ight Vision & Thermal 0
3iometrics#########################4
56V&s 4
Satellite 4
)" Surveillance *etection#############9
+hysical Surveillance 9
Technical Surveillance############70
Security 6gainst Technical 70
+" Surveillance and ,vasion#########7$
-" Informants & Infiltrators 7$
.ealing 8ith"#####################7,
1." /0I Cointel-!ro################## 7/
!ointel9+ro Techniques 7/
!ointel9+ro !ase Studies######### 74
11" Case Studies of Informants
and Infiltrators1111111111111111174
1#" Security 2uidelines#############79
#
0ig 0roter is watcing3 more tan
ever 4efore
In countless 8ays surveillance is
emerging as the dominant 8ay the
modern 8orld organi:es itself;
3ritain no8 has an estimated %;2 million
!!TV cameras<one for every 7% citi:ens;
+eople in central -ondon are no8 caught on
camera a*out $00 times a day;
Surveillance is a condition of modernity
integral to the development of the nation9
state and capitalism;;;
)ore than ever *efore our lives are visi*le
to others from government agencies and
security services to the o8ners of the
8e*sites 8e surf and the stores 8here 8e
shop; They trac1 us in pu*lic in
8or1places and online compiling our
personal information in massive data*ases
and sorting us into categories of ris1 value
and trust8orthiness;
!!TV cameras are =ust one of their tools;
Others include radio frequency
identification >?'I.@ chips A+S location
trac1ers 8e*site coo1ies facial recognition
soft8are and store loyalty cards; !omputer
programs used *y security services can
monitor and analy:e *illions of phone calls
and e9mails in real time; Be even ma1e it
easier for our trac1ers *y 8illingly
disclosing pieces of our lives on social
net8or1ing sites li1e 'ace*oo1 or in online
contests & questionnaires;
In one form or another surveillance has
al8ays *een a part of human society;
Bhat&s ne8 is computer technology that
has made it possi*le to integrate vast and
diverse *its of information; 6s 8ell our
post99"77 o*session 8ith eliminating ris1
has produced an architecture of mass
surveillance in 8hich everyone is treated as
a suspect;
.on 3utler C3ig 3rother is 8atching more than ever
*eforeD Vancouver Sun 'e*; $ 2009
6nd for those 8ho really are &suspects& read on;;;
"Those in authority fear the
mask for their power partly
resides in identifying, stamping
and cataloguing: in knowing who
you are... our masks are not to
conceal our identity but to reveal
it...
Text on inside of 9,000 masks
distributed at the Carnival Against
Capitalism, London, June 1999
1" Introduction
Seurit! is vital to the suess " survival of the
resistane movement# This is beause $e have an enem! $ho
ativel! $orks to undermine, neutrali%e, " ultimatel! destro!
us# &ailure to remain a$are of seurit! onerns an mean the
differene bet$een vitor! or defeat, freedom or imprisonment,
life or death# 'ot onl! for !ourself, but others around !ou#
(nformation gathered from various soures, " that is
sub)eted to anal!sis " omparison, is alled intelligence# The
gathering of intelligene is a vital part of ounter*insurgen!
operations, $ithout $hih the enem! does not kno$ $ho, $hat,
$here or $hen to strike#
Seurit! " Counter*Surveillane measures are
designed to limit " den! the flo$ of information to enem!
fores# (t is based on the priniple that ounter*insurgen! is a
permanent part of soiet! and that those engaged in resistane
are al$a!s vulnerable to surveillane " repression#
#" Surveillance
Surveillance is the ontinuous, seretive observation of
persons, plaes, things or ob)ets, in order to gain information#
There are two types of surveillance: physical & technical.
Physical surveillance is arried out b! enem! personnel
on foot and+or b! vehile# (t is the onl! $a! a target person an
be ontinuousl! observed over an extended period of time#
Surveillane teams an be omprised of t$o persons in one
vehile, or a do%en operators in six vehiles ,or even more, of
ourse-# (n addition, motor!les, bikes, planes " heliopters
ma! also be used#
(n this ategor! $e must also onsider informants,
infiltrators " ollaborators# The! ma! be polie agents,
ivilians reruited b! polie, or former omrades# This form of
ph!sial surveillane is the main soure of intelligene on
people.s thoughts, plans " ativities# (t is sometimes referred
to as /human intelligene.# 0eause of the sensitive nature of
personal information the! are able to gather, and their abilit! to
influene events, infiltrators " informants are espeiall!
dangerous#
Technical surveillance is far more ommon# 1ith
$idespread use of teleommuniations ,phone, ell, pager,
internet, fax-, tehnial surveillane is a main soure of
intelligene on a person.s da! to da! ativities, ontats,
personal relationships, et# 2ore generall!, it onsists of
tehnial devies to reord, doument or monitor a target
individual.s movements, onversations, or ativities# This
inludes listening devies in homes " ars, tapped telephones,
monitoring of internet ativit!, CCT3 video, traking devies,
night*vision devies, et#
The urban environment is far more onduive to
surveillane, due to the large masses of people,
ommuniations " eletrial s!stems, strutures, " vehiles in
$hih operators " devies an be onealed# (n the it!, there
are also tens of thousands of CCT3 video
ameras, in stores, banks, malls, offies, shools, transit, streets
" intersetions#
(n rural areas, ph!sial surveillane is more often
neessar! due to the lak of teleommuniations, roads, et#
Lo$ population densities also serve to identif! surveillane
operators as /outsiders.# &or these reasons, ph!sial
surveillane in rural areas often re4uires long*range observation
,b! ground teams, airraft, or satellite in high priorit!
situations-# (n some ases, polie in militar!*st!le amouflage
seretl! ondut surveillane at a muh loser range#
$" Security
Security n. 1# 2easures adopted to guard against attak, theft
or dislosure# 5# Something that gives or assures safet! "
onfidene6
As noted, the purpose of seurit! is to protet our
movement# A vital part of this is to limit or den! the flo$ of
information to enem! fores# The follo$ing 7 priniples should
be seen as basi " fundamental seurit! guidelines8
1# Do not send or discuss sensitive information over
any form of telecommunications ,phone, ell,
internet, et#-, all of $hih are vulnerable to
intereption# Cell Phones an be made into ative
listening devies and should have their batteries
removed before disussing an! seret information#
5# Never discuss sensitive information in any enclosed
area vulnerable to listening devies ,i#e#, homes,
vehiles, afes, et#-#
9# Follow the Need-to-Know-Only ule: (f a person is
not involved in the information, then the! do not need
to kno$ its ontents# The less a person kno$s, the less
danger there is the! an tell others#
7# !void those una"le to follow "asic security codes.
The! are a danger to !ou and the movement# This
inludes persons $ho talk too muh, $ho do not take
seurit! seriousl!, aloholis, et#
%" !rinciples of Surveillance
As noted, surveillane is the seretive, ontinuous
$athing of a person, plae, vehile, or ob)et in order to gain
information# (n order to be effetive, surveillane must go
unnotied and be undeteted# As soon as the target is a$are he+
she is under surveillane, the! $ill alter their behavior "
oneal an! /suspiious. ativities, as $ell as stop the flo$ of
information# &or this reason, surveillane an be diffiult to
detet beause it strives to be overt " hidden#
:eveloping information through surveillane is a
progressive " often length! proess# (t is from man! piees of
information that an overall piture of the target.s patterns is
developed#
Surveillane $ill normall! begin $ith limited
information on a targeted individual.s ativities, a residene or
$orkplae, et# 2ore info $ill be developed in order to
identif! times, loations, routes of travel, or ativities on $hih
$
to fous the surveillane effort ,referred to as a target pattern
analysis-#
The more extensive the surveillane effort, the greater
the amount of intelligene produed# The extent of surveillane
depends upon the importane plaed on the target b! polie*
intelligene, and the target.s expeted level of a$areness "
ounter*surveillane kno$ledge ,soft target vs# hard target-#
Just reading this manual an make !ou a harder target#
0eause of the resoures " apabilities of our enem!,
and its intent to monitor " repress rebellious tendenies ,of
$hih $e must assume $e are a part of-, surveillane against
our movements must al$a!s be onsidered as being possible ,if
not probable-#
&" !ysical Surveillance
;h!sial surveillane is arried out b! enem!
personnel ,operators- on foot and+or b! vehile# (t is the onl!
$a! a target person an be ontinuousl! observed over an
extended period of time# <n foot or in a vehile, operators
must keep their surveillane target in sight# A team assigned to
maintain this line*of*sight is said to have /command. of the
target# (n order to avoid detetion, the ommand is fre4uentl!
shifted, so that no one operator or team is in diret sight of the
target for too long a time ,shifting command-#
Sophistiated surveillane efforts an involve man!
different operators " vehiles# (n suh ases, teams are
deplo!ed all around the target in a /floating "o#. ,in front, the
bak, sides, and on parallel routes-#
(f ph!sial surveillane is being arried out, then it an
be assumed that tehnial surveillane is also ourring, and
ma! have been for some time before ph!sial surveillane
began# This is beause ph!sial surveillane re4uires multiple
operators if it is to be suesful, and an be draining on
personnel and resoures# (t=s therefore possible that
surveillane operators ma! have aess to audio reordings of
the target=s onversations in a residene or vehile, $hile the!
are observing them#
Surveillance Operators & Vehicles
Surveillane operators an be of an! rae, ethniit!,
si%e, shape, et#, $earing an! st!le of lothing, listening to an!
t!pe of musi, et# 'ot onl! are polie " intelligene agents
used, so too are ivilians " famil! members# The! an be men,
$omen, !outh, or elders ,i#e#, the >C2;=s =1athers= of the
earl! 19?0s-# Like$ise, vehiles used b! surveillane teams
an be of an! model, !ear, ondition, olour, et# Appearane
b! itself $ill rarel! reveal a sophistiated surveillane effort#
(nstead, it is their ativities $hih must be observed#
(n order to oordinate the efforts of man! team
members, ommuniations bod! gear is $orn b! operators#
This usuall! onsists of lear, plasti earpiees plaed in one
ear, and mirophones attahed to )akets or shirts at hest level
or in ollars# A volume, on+off s$ith or devie ma! be
ontained in a poket# 3ariants of this inlude ell phones $ith
ear and mi attahments, 2;9 pla!ers or i;ods, et# The
proliferation of these devies an make it ver! diffiult to
identif! surveillane operators based simpl! on the fat that
the! are plugged into some kind of devie#
Fixed Surveillance
&ixed surveillane ,meaning it doesn=t move- is set up
around a target.s home, a business, et#, to observe ativities,
patterns of movement, assoiations, or even to begin
surveillane of a target expeted to appear at the loation
,stakeout-# Another term for a fixed surveillane position is
$"servation Post %$P&#
(t is usuall! onduted from overlooking positions
suh as hills, buildings, apartments, or vehiles parked in the
area# &ixed surveillane an hange into mobile surveillane
$ith operators pre*positioned and read! to follo$#
''''
Rural: (n a rural area, fixed surveillane an onsist of
an armed reonnaissane team ,polie or militar!- taking up
positions from $hih it an observe the target loation#
0eause this t!pe of surveillane re4uires speial fieldraft
skills ,i#e#, amouflage-, it is most often onduted b! speiall!
trained polie or militar! units# Another fator is the greater
likelihood of firearms in rural areas ,hunting rifles-#
Teams ma! set up <;s on overlooking hills or
mountainsides, using hi*po$ered long*range ameras "
telesopes, or in nearb! forest, abandoned buildings, fields,
bushes, et# <perators ma! $ear amouflage lothing,
inluding =ghillie suits=, and onstrut amouflaged hide
positions ,digging out an area large enough to lie in, setting up
overhead support, and overing it $ith the top la!er of earth-#
Mobile Surveillance
<ne a target person has been observed and is leaving
the loation, the surveillane then beomes mobile# <n foot or
b! vehile, the target is follo$ed until he+she stops# A
surveillane box is again set up $ith one operator having diret
line of sight on the vehile or loation ,this is the trigger, $ho
alerts other operators as to ations of target-#
As the targeted individual re*appears on the move, the
fixed surveillane box again transitions to a mobile
surveillane# (n high*priorit! ases, the surveillane box $ill
over all kno$n routes in and out of an area and an literall!
surround the target#
(f a person drives, stops and $alks around,
surveillane vehiles $ill also drop off foot operators# The!
$ill then position themselves in a box around the target.s
vehile, or assist in the foot surveillane b! piking up and
dropping off operators#
&or their part, foot operators ma! hange )akets, hats,
and other items of lothing in order to avoid detetion# <ne
deteted, the! $ill be removed from the operation and replaed#
<perators ma! also use bi!les if the target moves b! bike or
foot#
Rural: mobile vehile surveillane in rural areas
presents some problems to operators due to the lak of over on
roads## Aerial surveillane an greatl! assist, as an @;S
traking devies ,although the! annot sa! for ertain $ho
drove the vehile $ithout some form of line of sight
observation-# 'evertheless, rural mobile surveillane $ill
follo$ these basi patterns, $ith some modifiations#
%
Four Phases of (o"ile Surveillance
%foot and)or vehicle&
*. Sta+eout: surveillane team members are pre*positioned in a
speifi area, usuall! in a box to over all routes of travel
in+out# (t ma! be a target.s residene or a loation to $hih the
target is expeted to visit#
A stakeout an involve <bservation ;osts ,<;=s-# (n
urban areas this ould be overlooking apartments or houses,
vehiles parked in the street, et# An <; limits possibilit! of
detetion over a long period of time#
,. Pic+-up: ours $hen the surveillane team establishes
ommand of the target entering and then leaving the area#
.. Follow: begins immediatel! after the pik*up# This phase
overs all aspets of surveillane $hile target moves from one
loation to the next#
/. Surveillance 0o#: begins as soon as the target stops at
another loation# A standard surveillane box overs all routes
in+out of a speified area# The main differene bet$een a
stakeout " a surveillane box is that in a stakeout, it is
antiipated that the target $ill appear# (n a surveillane box, it
is kno$n that the target is in a speifi area or loation#
/loating 0o5
6ter /orms of !ysical Surveillance
(ail: although not used as muh as email, polie and
intelligene agenies have a long histor! of interepting postal
deliveries, inluding letters and pakages# Agents an gain
authori%ation to interept mail, $hih is then dela!ed from
deliver! $hile the! open it, hek the ontents, and then re*seal
it# (t is not a seure form of ommuniations or transporting
items#
1ar"age: going through people=s personal trash is a
ommon pratise used b! polie, intelligene, and private
investigators# This inludes old notes, letters, bills, invoies,
reeipts, fl!ers, presriptions, dra$ings, et#, all of $hih an
provide personal or business information# @arbage an also be
a soure of forensi evidene ,residue, hemials, bodil! fluids,
hair, et#-#
Neigh"orhood 2atch)3igilante Citi4ens: these
entities often have diret ontat $ith polie through
neighborhood $ath groups or ommunit! poliing entres#
The! should be onsidered a form of ph!sial surveillane in
that the! an report an! observations the! have made of !ou,
!our ativities, friends, et# The! ma! also help provide polie
$ith residenes or businesses to use for surveillane#
'" (ecnical Surveillance
As noted, tehnial surveillane is the use of devies
or tehnologies to monitor and+or reord the ativities of a
target# Toda!, tehnial surveillane is $idespread in soiet!,
due to the ongoing development of ne$ tehnologies and
e4uipment#
Telecommunications
;hones, ells, (nternet, fax, and pager are espeiall!
vulnerable to surveillane due to their ontrol b! government "
orporations, and the use of omputeri%ed digital tehnolog! in
teleommuniations s!stems# This allo$s for greater aess,
storage, retrieval and anal!sis of ommuniations, $ithout the
need for ph!sial aess to a residene or $orkplae#
Telephones: Telephones an be made into ative
listening devies through a tehni4ue kno$n as a hook s$ith
b!pass, even $hen not in use# Cellular " ordless phones are
among the least seure forms of ommuniation as the! an be
interepted b! ommeriall! available sanners#
Cell Phones: Cell phones, beause the! operate
through satellite " transmission to$er net$orks, an be used to
trak a person.s movements " loation# Cell phones an also
be made into ative listening devies, even $hen not in use#
2an! also have built*in digital ameras and video apabilit!#
The proliferation of ell phones and their apabilities greatl!
expands the potential for surveillane, $hile reduing the
visibilit! of the operator $ith a amera ,or ommuniations
devie-#
5nternet & Computer: Like ell phones, the (nternet
is a ver! inseure form of ommuniations# Amails !ou send,
or $eb sites !ou visit on !our personal omputer, an be
interepted )ust like a phone all# (f !our omputer is ever
sei%ed or stolen b! polie, the! an aess large amounts of
data ,i#e#, emails, $ebsite visits, douments, photos- even if !ou
have deleted it# This is beause instead of atuall! deleting
&
Sta7eout8Surveillance 0o5
items, !our omputer=s hard drive onl! over$rites data as it
needs to# Be!stroke loggers an be installed on omputers,
enabling surveillane to read ever!thing !ou=ve t!ped# (n
addition, $hen !ou are online $ith !our omputer, soft$are
programs an be overtl! do$nloaded onto !our omputer that
enable another omputer to aess it and gather information#
An!time !ou go online to hek !our email, that
loation an be traed through (nternet ;rotool ,(;- addresses#
The &0( have a program the! an do$nload to !our omputer
via email that provides aess to !our internet ativit!# These
methods have been used to arrest people making internet
threats# (n some ases, polie identif! an (; address then
a4uire video surveillane of the suspet posting ne$ threats#
;olie also ommonl! hek people=s &aebook aounts and
similar sites for inriminating text, photos or video#
Listening Devices
Audio surveillane is one of the main methods of
reording onversations for both intelligene gathering as $ell
as riminal harges# (n fat, multi*million dollar investigations
and trials are often based almost entirel! on reorded
onversations ,people aught making inriminating statements
to either underover ops or informants-#
Two commercially available wireless listening devices; the
top one can be wired to a battery or electrical source in
the residence/vehicle. The bottom one is connected to a
9 battery.
Listening devies, also kno$n as "ugs, are usuall!
small mirophones attahed to a transmitter " an energ! soure
that are plaed in a residene, $orkplae, vehile, et# The!
an be as small as 1#CD x 1D# The! transmit to a reeiver, $hih
is usuall! in the area ,i#e#, a nearb! observation post+vehile-#
The proximit! of the reeiver $ill depend on the effetive range
of the devie# (n some ases, polie have used planes to reeive
transmissions $hen it $asn=t possible to get a ground vehile
lose enough to a hidden transmitter ,$orn b! an informant-#
0uildings and heav! traffi an disrupt transmissions,
depending on the devie# At times, polie have to use
abandoned buildings, rooftops, or other areas $hile posing as
$orkers in order to reeive transmissions from a devie#
The most ommon listening devies are wireless and
transmit to a nearb! reeiver using radio fre4uenies# The!
must have an energ! soure# (n sophistiated devies, small but
po$erful batteries are used that an last months# (n heaper
models, batter! paks are strapped together and hidden along
$ith the mi# <f ourse, the larger, bulkier batter! paks are
more easil! deteted and must sooner or later be replaed $ith
fresh batteries# :evies an also be $ired to household or
vehile energ! soures#
Another t!pe of listening devie is the wired mi, in
$hih a $ire runs from the mi diretl! to the reeiver, usuall!
in a nearb! room+apartment# 1ired mirophones do not need
an energ! soure as the! are po$ered b! the monitor through
the $ire# 1ired mis have a better sound 4ualit! but are not as
ommonl! used toda! due to their greater potential for being
disovered ,via the $ire-#
Listening devies are plaed in areas $here
onversations usuall! our, i#e#, living rooms, kithen,
bedrooms, and vehiles# The! an be hidden in $all sokets,
light s$ithes, lamps, behind paintings, in eilings, $alls, air
vents, et# (n high*level operations, devies have also been
plaed in park benhes " afes fre4uented b! the target#
Although sanners " other speiali%ed e4uipment an
be used to loate devies, this does not ensure areas are seure#
'e$ tehnologies an overome suh detetion devies, and
/bugs. an be remotel! turned off, temporaril! utting an! >&
transmissions# The mone! " effort spent a4uiring suh gear
$ill onl! alert the surveillane team#
!s a general rule6 all enclosed spaces should "e
considered vulnera"le to surveillance "y listening devices6
especially those used or fre7uented "y movement mem"ers)
associates6 etc.
Another t!pe of listening devie
is that $orn on the bod! b! an informant
or infiltrator# Like other t!pes of
devies, it $ill have a small onealable
mirophone attahed to a transmitter "
batter!# 2ore sophistiated listening
devies an also be onealed in an!
number of ob)ets ,ameras, pens,
$athes, bags, ups, et#-# Listening
devies used b! the &0( " AT& in
underover operations against biker
gangs $ere hidden in pagers and ell phone batteries# The! had
on+off s$ithes so the! ould be turned off if there $as a
sanner being used to detet hidden transmitters#
Laser devies are also used to ollet $indo$
vibrations and onvert them into audio signals, thereb!
reording onversations in offies, apartments, et#
arabolic Microphones
;o$erful mirophones are designed to eavesdrop on
onversations over a long
distane# Also referred to as a
/bioni ear., paraboli mis
are hand*held devies usuall!
$ith a boom mi and a round
dis attahed# The operator
$ears ear*phones# Some
paraboli mis have effetive
ranges of 900 metres#
Civilian versions are sold for
hunting, and some attah to
binoulars ,$hih $ill have a
small boom mi stiking out-#
'
6 listening
device is
contained in this
8atch;
Video !ameras
Closed*iruit television ,CCT3- is one of the most
$idespread examples of tehnial surveillane in soiet!# (n
ever! it! there are tens of thousands of CCT3 video ameras,
in stores, banks, malls, offies, shools, transit, streets "
intersetions#
&or surveillane operations,
miniature CCT3 video ameras are
also routinel! used# The! have
filmed people making and selling
drugs, $eapons, " bombs, as $ell
as making inriminating statements#
2ini*CCT3 ameras an be as
small as a dime in diameter ,$ith a
small pin*hole aperture-# Like
listening devies, mini*video
ameras an be hidden in almost
an!thing, in# a pager, a tedd! bear,
a 3C>, a lok, a radio, a smoke detetor, et# ,suh devies are
available on the ommerial market-# (n apartments or motel
rooms, or an! ad)oining strutures, surveillane teams an gain
aess and drill a pin*hole through $alls, eilings or floors, and
insert a pin*hole amera ,as is done during barriaded suspet
situations-#
2ini*CCT3 devies must have a po$er soure " a
transmitter to rela! the information to a nearb! monitorEthe
surveillane team ,or reorder-# Like a listending devie, the
po$er soure ma! be a batter! or it ma! be diretl! $ired to a
residene or vehile po$er suppl!# Sophistiated video
ameras also have night*vision#
(n ases $here ph!sial surveillane of a suspet $as
either too diffiult, or illegal ativities ourred at too long an
interval, mini*CCT3 video ameras have been overtl! set up
outside a residene# The! are motion*sensitive and onl! reord
data $hen there is movement# (n @erman! 500F this tehni4ue
$as reportedl! used to monitor the homes of persons suspeted
of arr!ing out sporadi attaks over the ourse of several
months ,i#e#, $hen ph!sial surveillane $ould be largel!
unprodutive-#
;o$erful video ameras are also mounted on
heliopters, planes and Gnmanned Aerial 3ehiles ,GA3-#
These vehiles an hover or irle an area at ver! high altitudes,
virtuall! out of sight and sound range, and still identif! an
individual=s fae#
2an! ell phones and digital ameras no$ have video
apabilit!# 2ore polie fores mount video ameras in their
ars# (n 500F, GB polie adapted a head*mounted mini*amera
that an be $orn b! uniformed offiers to reord inidents "
suspets# (t resembles a small flashlight# There are also ne$
shoulder*radios used b! some polie fores that have mini*
video " photo ameras in them#
Still hotograph"
The use of 9Cmm amera " digital ameras remains an
important tool in surveillane $ork# (t is espeiall! useful for
doumenting " identif!ing individuals, loations, vehiles, et#
(n partiular, 9Cmm film and hi*4ualit! digital ameras provide
sharp, lear pitures as opposed to images taken from a video#
;hotographs must be taken b! an operator $ith line of sight
observation of the target# 1ith hi*po$ered %oom lenses, lose*
ups an be ahieved over great distanes#
2an! ell phones no$ have digital ameras installed
and an be used to take photos of persons, liense plates,
douments, et#
Trac#ing Devices
Gsuall! attahed to the rear underside of vehiles,
these devies emit a signal $hih an be traked b! satellite "
ellular tehnolog! ,the global positioning s!stem8 @;S-# An!
vehiles e4uipped $ith @;S tehnolog! are alread! apable of
being traked ,i#e#, the <nStar net$ork-# As noted, ell phones
are also traking devies#
<ne doumented version
of a traking devie used b! the
&0( onsists of a @;S transmitter,
a ellular antennae, a batter! pak,
and a omponent box# These $ere
enased in blak metal boxes,
onneted b! $ires, and attahed
to the underside of vehiles b!
extremel! strong magnets# The
batter! pak, ontaining 7 lithium
:*si%e batteries, $as a !lindrial
metal tube 15 H long# The
omponent box $as the si%e of a
paperbak book# 1ith this, the
loation of a devie ould be
determined $ithin a fe$ !ards#
Commeriall!*available traking devies, suh as the
Iuiktrak @;S Traker, onsist of a one blak metal box $ith
strong magnets# (t is 7#JD b! 5#CD in si%e and has a batter! life
of 70 hours in traker mode, and one month in standb!#
>eent @;S devies available on the ommerial
market are almost as small as a $rist$ath# Sophistiated
traking devies an be installed an!$here on a vehile ,not
)ust the underarriage, this is espeiall! true if the vehile is
impounded or left for long periods unattended-#
A variant of traking
devies is the >adio &re4uen!
(: ,>&(:-, a small devie ,as
small as a grain of rie- that
emits a signal# (t is used b!
orporations to trak the
shipment of goods and to
prevent shoplifting# 2iniature
>&(:=s are surgiall!
implanted in the skin of
persons for medial reasons ,it
ontains their medial histor!-
as $ell as for seurit!
,potential vitims of
kidnapping-# The &0( has also
used >&(: and @;S devies to trak the shipment of drugs#
$ight%Vision & Thermal &mager"
'ight*vision devies ,'3:=s- magnif! existing moon
" star light, allo$ing the vie$er to see in $hat $ould
other$ise be total darkness# This is usuall! as a grain! green
image# 'ight vision an be limited b! lak of an! light soure,
heav! rain, fog, et# 1hile night*vision enables the vie$er to
see at night or in lo$*light onditions, thermal imaging detets
alterations in temperature# Thermal imaging ameras an see
)
)ini9!!TV camera
+roScout trac1ing
device >*i*le si:ed@
through fog and smoke, and are routinel! used b! fire fighters
to detet the atual fire point $hen it is engulfed b! thik
smoke# >eentl! used vehile engines, human forms, reentl!
dug up earth, et# an all be deteted# Speiali%ed thermal
imaging e4uipment an also be used to monitor the movement
of people inside a struture#
&or these reasons, both
thermal imager! " night*
vision are routinel! used in
polie " militar! heliopters#
<f the t$o, '3:=s are far
more ommon and are issued
to regular ombat soldiers and
speiali%ed polie teams#
0oth '3:=s and thermal
devies an be in the form of
goggles, binoulars, or rifle
sopes# The! are ommonl!
used in rural surveillane
$here there is far less artifiial light# Keliopters, planes and
Gnmanned Aerial 3ehiles ,GA3=s- an be e4uipped $ith night
vision and thermal imaging devies#
'iometrics
The use of uni4ue individual ph!siologial traits, suh
as faial reognition, iris sanning, voie reognition,
fingerprints, posture " $alk, total bod! imaging, et# :ue to
omputer " tehnologial advanes, the use of biometris in
identif!ing " traking people has beome more $idespread#
(n terms of surveillane, biometri tehnologies an be
used to identif! persons and trak them in a ro$d, based on
faial reognition or bod! imaging# Telephone alls an be
anal!%ed to identif! speakers# &ingerprints an be digitall!
sanned b! hand*held devies to onfirm or establish
identities,on the spot-# 2an! ountries are no$ adopting
biometri features for ne$ identit! ards ,driver=s lienses "
passports-, inluding iris sans " faial reognition# Antr! into
an inreasing number of industrial " government failities,
offie omplexes, et# no$ re4uires biometri sanning#
(nmanned )erial Vehicles
GA3=s are ommonl! used b! militar! fores for
surveillane and reonnaissane# There are man! t!pes of
GA3=s, but all serve as aerial surveillane platforms and arr!
po$erful video ameras e4uipped $ith night*vision " thermal#
The! are remotel! ontrolled b! a ground operator $ho
observes the flight path and area through the GA3=s onboard
amera# Small versions, suh as the >aven, Sk!lark or
AagleSan are the si%e of miniature airplanes and an be hand*
launhed# The! have a shorter flight time and are meant to be
used b! frontline ombat troops $ho re4uire a reon of a nearb!
area# Larger GA3=s suh as the Keron " ;redator are the si%e
of a small plane and an remain in flight for nearl! 57 hours
and fl! long ranges# The! an also hover at high altitudes#
These larger GA3=s an be e4uipped $ith missiles and have
been used in targetted assassinations b! (sraeli and GS fores#
Satellite
Satellites are used b! militar!, intelligene and
ommerial agenies for a variet! of purposes, inluding digital
imaging, ommuniations, navigation, et## The! are launhed
into speifi orbits, $hih the! then maintain during the ourse
of their life ,up to 10 !ears in some ases-# There are hundreds
of satellites in orbit around the earth#
The most advaned sp! satellites are those deplo!ed
b! the GS, inluding the =Be! Kole= ,BK- series of imaging
satellites# The BK*15 and BK*19 versions an identit! ob)ets
as small as CD on the ground ,from hundreds of miles in spae-#
The! also use radar, lasers, infrared and eletromagtneti
sensors to see through loud over, forest anopies, and even
onrete strutures, to reate images or gather data#
(maging satellites are used primaril! for militar!
intelligene to monitor troop movements, $eapons positions,
bases, ports, argo ships, et# The! are limited in their use for
suveillane of individuals beause the! are in orbit and annot
hover over a speifi area, and therefore annot provide real*
time video of a single loation# Aerial vie$s of tops of heads
are also not ver! useful#
<ther surveillane satellites are those used for S(@('T
,signals intelligene- $hih monitor radio and mobile phone
traffi# There are an estimated 100 GS national seurit!
satellites in orbit, $ith J*F of them being imaging, and 9*11
being S(@('T# Canada and other allied states share intelligene
$ith the GS through net$orks suh as Ahelon, inluding data
from GS sp! satellites#
+
!" #oe Thermal $eapon %ight
"ris scanning device &on left'
%kylark () used by *anadian +orces in )fghanistan
)" Surveillance *etection
Confirming surveillane an often be diffiult# (t is
usuall! done to determine if surveillane exists ,in order to
evade it-# &or this reason, obvious surveillane detetion
should be avoided# (f operators think a target is engaging in
ounter*surveillane, the! ma! beome more sophistiated in
their approah, and ma! believe the target is going to arr! out
some /illegal. ativit!#
(n most ases, surveillane operators $ill $ithdra$ if
the! believe the! have been deteted# Surveillane itself ma!
be stopped# (n other situations, surveillane teams ma!
maintain ommand of the target even if deteted ,overt
surveillane-# <bvious surveillane b! polie is sometimes
used to intimidate targets as part of a larger ps!hologial
$arfare operation, usuall! designed to neutrali%e the target
through fear and paranoia#
*etection of
!ysical Surveillance
The ke! to suessful surveillane detetion is
awareness and o"servation of one.s surroundings, inluding
persons and vehiles# (n identif!ing potential operators, make
note of their lothing, si%e, mannerisms, and faial features
,inluding hair st!le " olor, shape of head " fae, mustahe,
marks, et#-# (n partiular, an! distinguishing marks or features
an greatl! assist in retention " the abilit! to later identif! the
same individual or vehile#
2ost operators $ill attempt to blend in and to
minimi%e an! attention being dra$n to them# Colorful or odd
lothing, hairst!les, et# $ill be avoided due to the involuntar!
attention the! attrat# Therefore, most operators $ill be marked
b! their /unnotieable. and normal appearane#
(n identif!ing possible operators, begin b! observing
those around !ou# Assume that all are potential operators#
0egin eliminating those $ho are most likel! to not be engaged
in surveillane, in order to fous on those that are# Beep in
mind that some surveillane teams onsist of persons $ho look
as if the! ould not pass a basi ph!sial fitness test, and an
inlude old Asian ladies, fat short men, et# Gnderover polie
have also infiltrated biker gangs, failitated in part b! their o$n
personal interest in tattoos, gro$ing their hair long, and not
shaving# (t is most important to evaluate $hat people do and
their behavior, not their appearane or $hat the! look like#
3ehiles an be observed b! their olor, shape, model,
notieable marks+dents, and liense plates# At night, the
sillhouette of the vehile and the position of its headlights an
assist in identif!ing possible surveillane operators#
A main goal in detetion is to observe an individual
and+or vehile in one loation, and then at subse4uent loations#
*eneral !haracteristics o+
Surveillance Operators ,Foot & Vehicle-:
Can be of an! rae or ethniit!, an! si%e or
shape, !oung or old#
The! $ill usuall! avoid e!e ontat and an
even appear a$k$ard in their efforts to do so#
The! ma! appear out of plae, nervous "
tense ,beause the! are-#
Can be heard or observed speaking into hest
mirophones, ad)usting ear*piees, or using
hand*held devies to ad)ust volume or signal
team members ,ontained in poket-#
Can be observed signaling ,b! hand, head
nod, et#- or diretl! talking to other team
members#
Detection Techni.ues
<ne of the best times to detet surveillane is $hen a
surveillance box has been established around a loation#
Surveillane teams are most vulnerable to detetion during this
phase of an operation# (n some ases, the! ma! sit for hours
$aiting for the target to move or appear#
$"servation Posts in overlooking apartments or
houses an often be identified b! their apparent lak of ativit!,
dra$n blinds or urtains, or some other overings over
$indo$s# Although the! $ant to see out, the! do not $ant !ou
to see in# (n order to see out, all the! ma! re4uire is a slight
opening for a amera lens or telesope#
;ossible <; loations an be observed from $ithin the
target loation ,using the method desribed above- as $ell as
$hen leaving+entering the area# &or surveillane teams, the
ideal loation has good line*of*sight observation of the target.s
front door and vehile#
The more familiar one is $ith their neighborhood, the
easier it is to identif! ne$ vehiles " even neighbors, both of
$hih ould be potential surveillane# Sometimes, it is
impratial for polie to rent out apartments or use the homes of
ivilians# Then, a vehile <bservation ;ost is used#
(f a 3ehicle $"servation Post is used, it is usuall! a
van, mini*van, amper home, or ube trukElarge enough to
ontain operators " surveillane e4uipment# Like the
apartment senario, a vehile <; $ill be marked b! its lak of
ativit! and b! an inabilit! to see into the rear ompartment
area# Curtains or some other over are also plaed on the
$indo$s# 3ehile <;.s an remain parked for da!s or be
moved around and replaed# A possible indiator of
surveillane is the near*onstant presene of some kind of
vehile $ith a rear ompartment in the viinit!#
(f a vehile mathing these desriptions is parked "
the driver $alks a$a!, then gets into another vehile, the
parked vehile is a potential surveillane post# (n some ases,
polie have parked a normal passenger ar $ith an operator
hidden in the trunk# The operator an monitor a transmitter
and+or video reord ativities through a peep hole#
A variation of the vehile <; is the parking of a
vehile $ith either a devie and reiever to reord a nearb!
transmitter ,in a building or on a person- or $ith a mini*CCT3
video amera installed# The operator leaves the ar for the
duration of the surveillane operation then retrieves it later#
''''
1hen leaving a loation, either b! foot or vehile, the
target individual disreetl! observes for signs of a trigger ,an
operator $ith line of sight- as $ell as the followEa person or
vehile $hih also pulls out and begins to follo$ behind#
-
A person an also $alk around the neighborhood and
observe for possible surveillane# Leaving and then returning
,double-back-** as if something $as forgotten** an fore
operators to re*establish a surveillane box, potentiall!
exposing themselves#
Another time $hen surveillane operators are
vulnerable to detetion is during the transition from foot to
vehile, or vie+versa# <bserve for persons $ho rush
unexpetedl! to enter a vehile, or $ho exit abruptl!, et#
:uring mobile surveillane, it is often the reations b!
operators $hih reveal their ativit!# Some of this is
subonsious and beomes part of the routine of surveillane
operations#
&or example, mirroring is $hen a surveillane
operator dupliates !our ations as the! follo$ !our lead,
espeiall! in vehile surveillane# Pacing is $hen the!
maintain the same onstant distane bet$een themselves " the
target, slo$ing do$n and speeding up to keep pae#
0! taking ertain routes or ations, surveillane
operators an also be aught off guard#
2oving through
channeli4ed terrain
an expose surveillane
operators to
observation#
Channeli%ed terrain is
$hen all traffi ,foot or
vehile- must pass
through a restrited
passage or opening# A
bridge is an example of
suh terrain, a tunnel,
et# (n order to keep
ommand, a
surveillane team must
ommit to entering "
rossing the terrain# <n foot, a target ould $alk to the middle
of a bridge, stop as if to en)o! the vie$, then turn and $alk
bak ,u*turn- to note the response of other foot traffi#
1hen $alking or driving, sudden and abrupt u-turns
an fore a surveillane operator to respond, thereb! revealing
their ativit!# ;oorl! trained operators or overt surveillane
$ill 4uikl! u*turn as $ell " resume the follo$# A $ell*trained
operator $ill ontinue past and then turn off, handing ommand
over to another vehile+operator#
Standard Response to a U-Turn: command vehicle
continues straight, back,up vehicle pulls off to begin
follow
1hen $alking or driving, a
"lind turn an be used to fore an
unexpeted response b! surveillane
operators# A blind turn is a sudden
turn at a orner in $hih the target
then stops and $aits to observe the
ations of potential surveillane
operators# A standard response b!
surveillane $ill be to ontinue past
the orner $hile glaning to observe
the $hereabouts of the target# Ke+she $ill then ommuniate
this to other operators and pass ommand on to another team
member# Less experiened operators ma! simpl! turn the
orner also and be onfronted b! the target, possibl! foring an
unexpeted reation#
<n foot, the onl! opportunit! to disreetl! observe to
the rear is $hen rossing an intersetion# Sudden rossings in
the middle of the street ,8aywal+- also allo$ for rear vie$s and
ma! ath operators off guard# Antering pu"lic locations, suh
as malls, offie omplexes, et#, an fore surveillane to enter
$ith !ou and expose themselves to loser observation# @oing
up or do$n a series of esalators allo$s for logial 1?0*degree
turns to observe to the rear# Alevators ould fore operators
into even loser proximit!# 2ultiple levels also enable a target
to observe large areas from a dominant " overlooking position#
Pu"lic transit an also be used for detetion purposes#
@etting on buses or sub$a!s an fore operators to get into
lose proximit! $ith the target or risk losing ommand# 1hen
operators must get on transit $ith a target, this provides good
exposure of faial features and an fore unnatural responses
from operators# <bserve those $ho arrive at bus stop after !ou
and board the same bus, as $ell as those alread! on the bus and
seated to the rear, and those $ho board at subse4uent stops#
&oot operators ma! also be dropped off after the target gets off,
therefore if the same vehile is seen near bus stops en route, or
even follo$ing the bus, this is a possible indiator of
surveillane#
<n highways, pulling off onto the shoulder prior to a
rest area ma! fore surveillane vehiles to pull off and $ait#
:riving through the rest area, a target an observe $hih
vehiles are there and then identif! them at subse4uent
loations# Like sub$a!s, high$a!s are harateri%ed b! high
speeds $hih an ath surveillane operators off*guard# Axit
ramps, turn offs, rest areas, u*turns, blind*turns, et# an all be
exploited on high$a!s# Kigh$a!s also offer observation over
longer ranges and for extended periods of time#
(n both foot " vehile surveillane, ommand ma! be
shifted fre4uentl! to minimi%e exposure of operators# <ften,
unpreditable or sudden moves an fore surveillane teams to
reat# Ko$ever, if !our pattern up this point has been routine "
preditable, operators $ill beome suspiious# :etetion of
surveillane is best done as overtl! as possible# (n a vehile,
use rear*vie$ mirrors# 1rap*around sun glasses an also aid in
disreet observation b! shielding the e!es#

Rural: &rom one.s loation, potential <;.s an be
identified# The! must have line*of*sight observation# The onl!
$a! to find possible <;.s is to ph!siall! $alk the area# <;
1.
!hanneli/ed Terrain: operator
must commit to crossing to keep
command of target
'lind Turn
sites an be identified b! flattened out or disturbed areas used
for sitting or sleeping, as $ell as traks, litter, e4uipment
dropped b! operators, et# Bno$ledge of traking an greatl!
assist in identif!ing potential <; sites# Longer term <;=s ma!
onsist of a hide left in plae# :etetion an be greatl! assisted
b! dogs, as $ell as observing the responses of animals " birds
,in man! polie raids, dogs have been the first to be shot-#
*etection of
(ecnical Surveillance
Tehnial surveillane is diffiult to detet, espeiall!
that involving teleommuniations# A general rule in regards to
tehnial surveillane is to assume it is al$a!s possible and to
protet information as if it $ere sub)et to eavesdropping# Aven
using tehnial ounter*measures to detet surveillane devies
or tehnologies is not a guarantee of seurit!# <ur enem! has
far greater tehnologial resoures, inluding aess to
teleommuniations failities, orporations, et# This
determines our means of seurit! against tehnial surveillane#
<ne purpose of ph!sial surveillane is to enable
polie*intelligene agents to plan ph!sial break*and*enters in
order to put in plae tehnial devies# Speial entr! teams
ma! first break into a residene, $orkplae, or vehile and
photograph interior $alls, fixtures, la!out, ob)ets, et# The!
determine the best loations and t!pes of devies to be used#
The! then leave, prepare the devies, and return#
(n man! ases, there is no obvious sign of entr! and
nothing is taken# (f dogs are inside the house, the! ma! at
strange due to ultra*soni devies used to ontrol them during
polie overt entr!# (n other ases, burglaries ma! be staged#
Telephone, T3, eletrial repair re$s or plumbers ma! be used
to gain aess# A o*operative landlord might provide ke!s#
;olie raids " searhes are also good times for devies to be
put in plae#
(tems sei%ed b! polie during a raid, suh as
omputers, 3C>s, et#, and later returned, ould have devies
planted in them# The same is true for vehiles impounded over
night or unexpeted gifts suh as steros or T3=s ,tro)an horse-#
A possible indiator of eletroni surveillane ,bugs or
ameras transmitting- are irregularities in radio, T3 or ell
phone onnetions#
0efore digital tehnolog!, phone tapping $as lums!
and often resulted in liking sounds, lo$er volumes, et#
Toda!, phone tapping an be done more effeientl! $ith no tell*
tale noises#
Searches +or technical devices should be
onduted as disreetl! as possible, arried out $hile
pretending to lean up, et# (n some ases, suspets have been
raided shortl! after finding listening devies in their residenes
" vehiles# Searhes should be s!stemati and planned, from
the eiling to the floor, inluding all ob)ets, devies, light
s$ithes, eletrial outlets, light fixtures, air vents, smoke
detetors, et# in eah room# <n $all surfaes, small off*olour
piees, differenes in texture, or pin*holes, ma! be deteted#
Gsing a small flashlight to fous on small areas helps in
observation# All eletrial items should be dismantled "
inspeted, all paintings " mirrors removed# :rapes " urtains
should be heked, as $ell as plants, furniture, desks, et#
Listening devies or mini*ameras an also enter a
loation as a /tro)an horse., onealed in gifts suh as ne$
loks, radios, C: pla!ers, small T3.s, et#
Vehicle searches should be arried out after a ar*
$ash# ;ark vehile in disreet loation ,i#e#, garage- and
inspet underarriage for traking devies attahed b! magnet#
Chek inside the trunk and engine# Chek the interior,
inluding roof, door paneling, dash board, visors, and seats for
devies#
Listening devies $hih rel! on radio fre4uenies an
also be deteted b! >& monitors# (f radios, T3, or phones begin
piking up different fre4uenies, stati, or behaving strangel!,
this is a possible indiator of surveillane#
(f tehnial devies are found, this is a lear
onfirmation of surveillane# 1hat is done $ith this
information depends on the situation# :evies an be left in
plae, as removing them an prompt a polie raid to retrieve
them, and+or more sophistiated devies to replae them#
2isinformation an be provided# At the last moment, traking
devies an be re*attahed to another vehile, et#
Securit" )gainst Technical Surveillance
(n enlosed spaes suh as rooms " vehiles kno$n to
polie*intelligene agents, or on an! teleommuniaitons, it is
almost impossible to seure against tehnial surveillane#
1hen proteted information or ativities must be disussed,
avoid all enclosed spaces assoiated $ith oneself or movement
members, and avoid using telecommunications. The best
form of ommuniation is fae*to*fae#
The rule is8 against a high-tech enemy, go low-tech
(or no-tech). :o not attempt to overome tehnial
surveillane using tehnial means#
Telecommunications
Assume all teleommuniations are vulnerable to
surveillane and avoid disussing proteted information or
ativities on the phone, internet, et# Sine ounter*insurgen!
operations are based on all soures, avoid disussing personal
information on the phone or internet, inluding rumours, gossip,
and private details of individual.s lives# Gse pre*arranged ode
$ords and names if it is neessar! to ommuniate over
teleommuniations#
!ell hones
Cell phones an be used as both traking " listening
devies and should not be arried during an! seret ativit! or
$hen disussing sensitive matters# The batter! should be
removed#
!omputers and &nternet
The follo$ing are basi tips from A Practical Security
Handbook for Activists & Campaign, a publiation from
resistane in the GB ,$$$#AtivistSeurit!#og-# <verall,
ho$ever, all teleommuniations should be onsidered inseure
forms of ommuniating#
11
Computer Security
*. (nstall and regularl! update anti*virus and fire$all soft$are#
&ree programmes suh as A3@ ,$$$#grisoft#om- and
LoneAlarm ,$$$#%onealarm#om- are available for 1indo$s#
The important feature is that live update is ativated so the! are
ontinuall! up*to*date#
,. (nstall a sp!$are detetor programme suh as Ad*A$are
$hih is free from $$$#lavasoft#de#
.. :eleting a file does not remove it from !our hard drive, et#
(n order to do this it needs to be properl! $iped, using a
programme dediated to doing this# >eommended ones are
Clean :isk Seurit! and ;@;#
/. Anr!pt an! sensitive files on !our omputer, C:s or flopp!
disks using a programme suh as ;@; ,or @;@-# (deall!, !ou
$ill stuff all files in to one big arhive ,eg using 1inLip or
Stuff(t- and enr!pt that# This means that even the file names
are hidden# 1ipe the original files# This should be done ever!
night $hen !ou.ve finished using the omputer# Alternativel!
use disk enr!ption
9. Chose pass$ords that are effetive M longer than 1J
haraters, inluding upper and lo$er ase letters, number and
s!mbols if permitted# 1eak pass$ords are easil! broken#
;ass$ord proteted omputers are not seure to the prepared
infiltrator so enr!pting an!thing sensitive is also needed#
;ass$ords should be hanged on a regular basis#
:o not $rite them do$n and stik them under !our
hair or desk M these are the first plaes that a sp! $ill
look#
:o not base them on the names of famil!, pets or dates
of birth
:o not simpl! use ditionar! $ords
:. 0ak up !our omputer in ase it is stolen but keep the bak*
ups seure some$here else#
;. Consider s$ithing a$a! from 1indo$s to other operation
s!stems suh as Linux or 2a#
<. Avoid $ireless ke!boards as the! transmit 4uite a distane as
$ell as to !our omputer#
=. Beep important+sensitve data and ;@; ke!s on removable
media suh as memor! stiksNGS0 drivesO#
5nternet Privacy
*. Amails are not seure, and ver! eas! to monitor# To keep
them private, use ;@; enr!ption ,$$$#pgpi#om-# :on.t sa!
an!thing in an email !ou $ould not be prepared to )ustif! in
ourt#
(f !ou $ant to ontat another person $ithout those
$athing !ou kno$ing $ho it is !ou are in ontat $ith set up
fake email aounts### and use them instead# Consider using it
as a maildrop s!stem Ndo not send emails, save them as draftsE
!ou ommuniate $ith others through the draft emails leftO#
,. 0e a$are of spam M unsoliited emails, even if the! look
genuine, suh as from a bank# 'ever bu! an!thing, or even
lik on the links to $ebsites ontained in unsoliited emails###
.. Aver! time !ou aess the internet !ou leave a trae that an
be used to tie bak to !ou# (f visiting a $ebsite !ou don.t $ant
people to kno$ !ou are interested in, use an anon!mi%er
$ebsite or an internet afP# (f !ou suspet !ou are being
monitored, do not do an!thing sensitive from !our home
omputer# 1ath out for CCT3 in internet afes so pik small,
obsure ones Nor use disguiseO#
Listening Devices0Mini%!ameras
To protet against overt entr! " plaement of devies
in a residene or vehile, standard anti*burglar measures are
used# These inlude good, strong loks on doors " $indo$s,
alarms, surveillane ameras, and dogs# 3ehiles an be parked
in seure garages $ith an alarm s!stem# 'one of these
measures $ill guarantee seurit! against overt entr!, ho$ever#
0iker gangs began using sanners in their residenes
and lubhouses to detet transmitters hidden on infiltrators or
informants# (n response, polie reated reording devies
onealed as pagers $ith on+off s$ithes so that if a sanner
$as kno$n to be in use the devie ould be turned off#
0ikers $ould also bu! and set up CCT3 amera
s!stems in their residenes, drug labs, and lubhouses, to
monitor them for overt or fored entries# Kidden voie*
ativated reorders $ere also used in efforts to identif! overt
entries#
To disrupt polie surveillane, biker gangs $ould
position sentries and have patrols for a four*blok radius around
a meeting point ,i#e#, a lubhouse-# This fored underover
operators to pull bak and find safe areas from $hih the!
ould reeive transmissions# Another tehni4ue $as to meet in
one loation ,a rende%vous point- and then go to another,
kno$n onl! to a selet fe$, that offered good ounter*
surveillane terrain# (n one ase, the bikers met in a rural area
near an airport, limiting the use of an airraft used as a bak up
reiever#
To ounter listening devies, bikers began using dr!*
erase or halk*boards to $rite do$n seret information, then
erasing it# 1riting notes on single piees of paper against a
hard surfae ,to avoid impressions- then destro!ing them after
reading is a variation of this tehni4ue#
To avoid listening devies ,in# paraboli mis-,
ondut seret talks $hile $alking in seluded areas or in
impromptu loations#
Gse pre*arranged ode $ords and names to avoid
referring to atual information#
Code letter*number ke!# Choose a ten letter $ord in $hih no
letter is repeated and assign a number to eah letter8
J A 2 A S 0 > < 1 '
1 5 9 7 C J F ? 9 0
!"ample 1>A*10'A Q 9F7*9J05
Code on phone8 the blak singer
Trac#ing Devices
To ounter the use of
traking devies, do not use
personal vehiles for seret
ativities# 'e$er model ars also
have built*in @;S trakers, suh as
<n*Star# 2an! rental ar ompanies
no$ install @;S devies to trak
their vehiles# (t is also possible
that polie ould plae a @;S
traker on a bi!le# An! vehile
used to ounter surveillane must be =old=** unattahed to !ou
or an! omrades#
1#
$orldTracker !-%
tracker, commercially
available
)erial Surveillance & $ight Vision
To evade aerial surveillane go inside malls, apartment
buildings, transit stations, or an! building that has multiple exits
and large ro$ds# Change )aket and hat if possible#
To evade night time aerial surveillane ,i#e#, night
vision+thermal- in an urban or suburban area, go into large
buildings, under onrete bridges, under vehiles, into se$age
or tunnel s!stems, et#
(n rural areas go under bridges, drainage pipes,
under$ater, under rok! overrops, thik forest, tunnels, et# to
evade aerial vehiles at night#
<ne danger in hiding in a fixed position is if !ou=re
alread! being traked b! aerial surveillane the! $ill see this
and diret ground units to !our loation# Rou ma! not be a$are
!ou are being observed due to aerial surveillane being
onduted at an altitude be!ond !our hearing range#
Some measures reportedl! used to ounter infra*red
and thermal imager! inlude the use of =survival blankets=, a
sheet of foil that traps bod! heat ,and redues thermal
signature- and $ater immersion ,$hih also redues thermal
signature-#
+" Surveillance & ,vasion
Anti*surveillane ations are usuall! taken in order to
evade polie*intelligene $hile arr!ing out seret ativities#
1hen preparing for anti*surveillane, a targeted individual
should onsider their patterns of movement " ativities over
the previous time period# This identifies possible times,
loations, or methods b! $hih to evade surveillane# After a
long time doing surveillane, operators ma! themselves fall
vitim to this routine and beome vulnerable to anti*
surveillane ations#
The main goal of anti*surveillane is to evade polie*
intelligene agents# (f able to esape the initial stakeout or
surveillane box, for example, the target then defeats
surveillane and an move $ithout threat of being observed#
Tehni4ues used to detet surveillane, suh as u*turns, double*
baks, blind orners, et#, an also be used " built upon in
order to evade surveillane#
Avading stakeouts or surveillane boxes an be done
from an! loation and need not begin $ith one.s residene#
;ubli loations $ith multiple " even hidden exits an be used#
;ubli transit an be utili%ed to break up surveillane teams en
route to a suitable publi loation, et#
Disguises an greatl! enhane anti*surveillane
ations# <perators must reogni%e the target in order to follo$
him+her# Although faial features are the best $a! to identif!
speifi individuals, operators also rel! on form, dress, and
mannerisms# <ne.s ph!sial appearane an be altered in a
number of $a!s8
0agg! or loose*fitting lothing an alter form# &illing
them out an make a person look larger " bulkier#
Changing lothing st!le " olors#
Changing one.s posture " pae#
Gse of $igs and theatre make*up#
(f the use of disguise is deteted, surveillane
operators $ill assume the target is intent on evading their
efforts and is preparing to arr! out some proteted ativit!#
@reat are " planning should be put into an! anti*surveillane
ation, and disguises must be effetive# Consideration should
also be given to hanging shoes#
(n an urban environment, anti*surveillane ations
arried out on foot have more likelihood of suess than those
done b! vehile# There are a limited number of areas a vehile
an travel ,streets, high$a!s, alle!s, garages, et#-# (n addition,
the! ould have traking devies attahed, so no matter ho$
man! turns " u*turns are used, operators still kno$ $here the
vehile is#
(n ontrast, foot travel is almost limitless# Targets
moving on foot an exploit terrain " routes of travel to break
up or elude surveillane teams# ;ubli transit, espeiall!
sub$a!s, are diffiult for operators to follo$ on, due to the
high*speeds, abilit! to hange diretions, multiple exits from
stations, et# ;ubli loation suh as malls, offie omplexes,
et#, are also diffiult due to multiple exits, different floor
levels, elevators, esalators, et# (n an emergen! ,i#e#, a fire
alarm- operators $ould have even more diffiult! follo$ing a
target#
Avading surveillane is best done at night or in bad
$eather ,i#e#, a rain*storm,-, in order to limit visibilit!#
(n an urban setting, and in publi loations, it is often
the most illogial moves $hih an identif! surveillane
operators or limit their abilit! to follo$ ,$hih ma! also alert
operators that !ou are arr!ing out some kind of anti*
surveillane ations-# Taking an elevator one floor and then
$alking bak do$n is illogial, and an! one else doing so
$ould be highl! suspiious# 1aiting at transit stops as buses or
sub$a! trains pass b! an fore operators to board at least one
of these, or risk exposure# Taking a bus or train to the end of
the line and then returning an also identif! potential operators#
@etting on " off transit repeatedl! an further break up a
surveillane team#

-" Informants & Infiltrators
(nformants and infiltrators are spies $ho gather
information on the resistane " provide it to the enem!# The!
ma! also take a more ative role# These ats an result in
apture, arrests, imprisonment, and death# The term
ollaborator is used for an! member or iti%en $ho aids or
assists our enem!#
(nformants " infiltrators provide uni4ue " speial
human intelligence ,i#e#, emotional states, plans, intentions,
et#- $hih an be gained in no other $a!# (n addition,
infiltrators " ollaborators an ph!siall! disrupt " sabotage
movement ativities# The! an spread disinformation "
poisonous gossip, reating division and paranoia# The! an
also reord inriminating statements and ations# <verall, the!
are an essential " ative element in ounter*insurgen!
operations as $ell as riminal investigations#
&n+ormants are persons reruited b! the state seurit!
fores to provide information# The! are ivilians, usuall!
friends or assoiates of the target group# The! ould be
embittered omrades $ho feel isolated or even betra!ed b! the
group# <r, the! ould be genuine members arrested and sub)et
to pressure# ;olie refer to them as =Confidential (nformants= or
=Confidential Soures=#
1$
A standard method of recruiting informants is to find
eole (in or near the grou) with roblems! ;ersons most
vulnerable to beoming informants are those seeking
protetion, those seeking revenge, drug addits, aloholis,
those suffering from trauma or mental illness, those faing long
prison sentenes, " those in ompromised situations
,blakmail-# (ntimidation " oerion
ma! also be used to make a person
beome an informant# 2one! an
also be a motivating fator in making
a person turn informant, and in
maintaining their servies over an
extended period of time#
;otential informants ma!
also be identified through
surveillane# ;ersonal relationships,
drug or mone! problems, sexual
ativities, personalit! onflits,
internal po$er struggles, et#, are all
anal!%ed in order to find an opening
through $hih to exert pressure on a
potential informant#
2ovement members $ho
are arrested " sub)et to pressure
ma! break do$n and ollaborate
$ith polie# (n some ases, this ma!
result from a lak of faith in the
struggle# (t is important that members are not pressured,
oered, or intimidated, into arr!ing out ativit!, but that the!
do so out of a strong belief in its neessit!# Studies have found
that those most resistant to torture are motivated b! ideolog!,
not eonomi self*interest or soial prestige, for example#
<ne a person is turned informant, the! are
inreasingl! dependent on their polie*intelligene /handlers.
for protetion, having betra!ed their former friends "
omrades# (nformants ma! be lo$*ke! members or assoiates
$ho 4uietl! gather information " observe, $hile others ma! be
enouraged to beome more ative b! their handlers, ating as
an agents provocateur ,an informant or agent $ho provokes
ations, usuall! illegal and $hih lead to arrests-#
&n+iltrators are ivilians reruited b! the state seurit!
fores ,or orporations-, or polie*intelligene agents# The!
insert themselves into the group b! posing as genuine members
of the resistane, to greater or lesser extents# The! an be of
an! rae or ethniit!, si%e or shape, et#,depending on the target
group of ourse-# ;olie infiltrators have proven on oasion to
be ver! adept at pla!ing their role, looking and ating the part
,i#e#, underover investigations of biker gangs-#
(nfiltrators an be long*term " deepl! imbedded in a
group, forming intimate friendships, having a general
intelligene gathering role or as part of a riminal investigation#
<r the! an be temporar! operatives perhaps $ith a speifi
goal ,i#e#, to neutrali%e ke! leaders or groups-# Some infiltrators
are also referred to as agents provocateurs for their leading role
in instigating ,often illegal- ativities#
(nfiltrators are usuall! developed over a period of time,
during $hih the! meet " establish rapport ,a friendl! relation-
$ith members of the target group# This ould begin $ith
hane enounters, shared interests, meetings, events, rallies,
et# All these, of ourse, are the result of extensive surveillane
and ps!hologial profiling ,the! kno$ $hen " $here to be,
and ho$ to at-# <ne ommon method is for an informant to
introdue the infiltrator to the group# (nfiltrators might befriend
one member in order to gain ontat $ith the entire group#
(nfiltrators an also enter a group as genuine members
from another area or region, $here the! first made ontat $ith
the movement# The! an laim to
kno$ ertain people, or to have
been at ertain plaes " events, in
an effort to establish redibilit!#
A ommon over used for radial
groups is that of a studentS in fat,
universities are reruiting grounds
for intelligene agenies in
general#
(n some ases, infiltrators
provide resoures, inluding
mone!, vehiles, $eapons, or
informationEthings $hih are of
great value " $hih raise their
profile " influene in the group#
The! ma! also attah themselves
to ke! leaders or assume
leadership and seurit! positions in
order to extend their influene "
aess to information ,see belo$,
&0( C<('TAL*;>< Tehni4ues-#

.otes from Security Culture: A Handbook for Activists,
.ov /001 edition:
Types of 5nformants
The Thang aroundT t!pe8 the! are persons $ho
regularl! sho$ at meetings and ations but generall!
don=t get involved# The! ollet douments, listen to
onversations and note $ho=s $ho# This observation
role is relativel! inative#
The TsleeperT t!pe8 is similar to the Thang aroundT
modus operandi, exept that their absorption of
information is used to ativate their role at a later date#
The TnovieT t!pe8 presents a some$hat more ative
role, but onfines themselves to less prominent $ork#
The! don=t take initiative, but the $ork the! do is
valued# This helps them build trust and redibilit!#
The Tsuper ativistT t!pe8 the! ome out of no$here
and all of a sudden, the! are ever!$here# 1hether it=s
a meeting, protest, or an ation, this person $ill be
right in the thik of it# Beep in mind ho$ever that this
an also be the mark of a ne$ ativist, $hose
enthusiasm and ommitment is so strong that she+he
$ants to fight the po$er ever! minute of the da!#
H(t should be said that $ith several of these modus operandi,
the behaviour is hard to distinguish from a sinere ne$ person=s
involvement# Ko$ do $e tell them apartU 1ell, a planted
infiltrator $ill ask a lot of 4uestions about the diret ation
groups, individuals and illegal ativities# She+he ma! suggest
targets and volunteer to do reonnaissane as $ell as take part
1%
in the ation# (nfiltrators also tr! to build profiles on
individuals, their beliefs, habits, friends, and $eaknesses# At the
same time, infiltrators $ill shield their true selves from other
ativists#
HAn!one $ho asks a lot of 4uestions about diret ations isn=t
neessaril! an infiltrator, but the! A>A someone !ou should be
areful $ith# At the ver! least, the! need to be informed about
seurit! issues# 'e$ ativists should understand that diret
ation tatis an be risk! ,though some risks are $orth takingV-
and that asking a lot of 4uestions endangers people# (f the
person persists in asking 4uestions, there is a problem and
appropriate measures must be taken# Ativists $ho an=t
understand the need for seurit! should be kept a$a! from
situations in $hih the! might inriminate others#D
The (ndercover &n+iltrator
HA deep over agent is e4uipped $ith false (: ,usuall!
retaining the real first name so he+she doesn=t forget to respond
to their name-, and a skeleton of personal histor!, suh as a
business o$ner $ho $ill verif! that so*and*so $orked for them
,and $ho $ill later notif! the polie that someone $as
in4uiring-# The agent=s bakground ma! be kept lose to the
truth to prevent slip*ups# &inall! a deep over agent ma! $ork a
real )ob, rent a house or apartment, and live the role 57 hours a
da!#
HAn underover op $orking under TlightT over ma! also
have a false (:, but $ill most likel! go home to his famil! and
TrealT life ,usuall! in another it!-# Sometimes narotis
offiers and other speiall! trained agents $ill be alled on for
these assignments#D
,!codefense A #ield $uide to %onkeywrenching,
&oreman and Ka!$ood, Ab%%ug ;ress,Chio CA 199J, p# 59J-#
&n+ormant%1andler Meetings
As part of an underover operation, the
infiltrator+informant must exhange information, e4uipment or
mone! $ith their =handlers=# The most seure method is fae*to*
fae meetings# The &0(, for example, has rented apartments for
informant and handler to meet at, as a =dead*drop= to leave
messages, reordings, et#, and as a safe house to sleep at# At
other times the informant and handler $ould meet in parking
lots, one getting into the other=s ar8
HTo maintain seurit!, Tait Nan informant in the Kells
AngelsO and the agents met in seret plaes### An agent $ould
stop in an indoor parking lot and Tait $ould hop into his ar#
The! $ould drive to another it! to talk in a motel or publi
plae $hile t$o other agents arried out ounter*surveillane#D
,Hells Angels &nto the Abyss, b! Rves Lavigne, KarperCollins
;ublishers Ltd#, Toronto 199J, pp# 59F*9?-
1hen the! had to ommuniate over telephone, one
$ould phone the other=s pager and leave a phone number the!
ould be reahed at# Aven then, their onversations $ere
limited and oded8
HTait paged 2Binle! N&0( handlerO in <akland to
break the ne$s# Ke never alled 2Binle!=s house beause the
Kells Angels had aess to telephone ompan! reords###
Like$ise, 2Binel! al$a!s paged Tait#D ,Hells Angels &nto
the Abyss, p# 17F-
*ealing wit
Informants & Infiltrators
Like surveillane, deteting informants " infiltrators
an be diffiult# Some $ork ver! hard to oneal their
ativities and to pla! the role of a genuine member of the
movement# (ntuition, observation, and anal!sis of a person.s
ativities " ondut an help identif! possible informants "
infiltrators# 0akground heks should be arried out on
suspiious persons to onfirm their identit! ,although a $ell
organi%ed operation $ill have =bakstopped= an! infiltrator=s
fake (:-# @roup=s an also organi%e their o$n surveillane
operations to learn more about suspiious persons#
Gnless there is strong evidene, publi ausations "
denounements an sometimes ause more damage than good#
The! ma! appear as overl! paranoid, personal attaks+rivalr!,
et#, espeiall! if there is no hard evidene# (n man! ases,
suspeted infiltrators an be disreetl! prevented from
involvement in ritial ativities ,i#e#, ommuniations, funds,
transportation, disussions on tatis " strateg!, et#-#
1hen infiltrators and informants have been
onfronted, their most ommon reation is to den! the harge
outright# The! often emphasi%e all the risks, sarafies, and
lo!alt! the!=ve displa!ed# The! use emotional responses to
gain s!mpath! from other group members ,$ho ma! be
una$are or unonvined the person is an informant or
infiltrator-#
(f a person is identified as an infiltrator or informant
,i#e#, as a result of ourt dislosure, finding notes or reording
devies, or through admission-, photos should be taken of them
in order to inform others# A video taped statement should be
obtained if possible# An! materials or areas a onfirmed
informant or infiltrator has had aess to should be assessed for
risks, seurit! odes hanged, et#
'ac#ground !hec#s
H1hat are some $a!s of looking into the possibilit!
that someone is an informerU &irstl!, unless !ou have onrete
reasons or evidene that someone is an infiltrator, spreading
rumours $ill damage the movement# >umours that !ou do hear
of should be 4uestioned and traed bak# A person=s bakground
an be looked into, espeiall! ativism the! laimed to have
partiipated in, in other plaes# :o !our ontats in those plaes
kno$ of the person, their involvementU :id problems ever
ome upU <ne important advantage of having links $ith far
a$a! plaes is that it makes it more diffiult for informers to
fabriate laims about their ativities#
H1hat are a person=s means of livingU 1ho are her
or his friendsU 1hat sorts of ontraditions exist bet$een their
professed ideals and ho$ the! liveUD ,from Security Culture A
Handbook for Activists-
(n one AT& underover operation against the Kells
Angels ,<peration 0lak 0isuit-, the agents $ere so $ell
=bakstopped= $ith fake (: and histories that the biker=s ounter*
intelligene, $hih involved extensive bakground heks,
failed to unover their true identit!# ;rivate investigators hired
b! the bikers, along $ith other intelligene soures, onl! re*
affirmed the fake (:=s of the agents, and provided a false sense
of seurit! to the gang#
1&
1." /0I C6IN(,9-!R6:
*omestic Counter-Insurgency
Campaign :1-'.s-).s;
The &0(.s infamous Counter*(ntelligene ;rogram
,C<('TAL*;><- should serve as a hilling reminder of the
length to $hih our enem! $ill go to rush our resistane# This
is espeiall! true sine veterans of this time are still $ith us, "
man! remain in prison to this da! as a result ,in# Leonard
;eltier, 2umia Abu*Jamal, et#-# 2an! are also dead, killed b!
the &0(, polie, " paramilitaries during the 19J0.s " F0.s# <ur
failure to learn from this time $ould not onl! leave us
vulnerable to the same tatis, it $ould be a dishonor to the
sarifies made b! the previous generation#
C<('TAL*;>< had its roots in the anti*ommunist
ampaign of the 19C0s ,$hen the Cold 1ar began-# (ts first
targets $ere ommunist " soialist groups, as $ell as the blak
ivil rights movement# (n the 19J0s, ne$ liberation movements
emerged around the $orld# GS involvement in 3ietnam " the
fiere resistane of the 3ietnamese people ontributed to a
limate of insurgen! " rebellion, one that extended into the
GS itself#
At this time, C<('TAL*;>< $as expanded nation*
$ide, involving extensive surveillane, informants,
ollaborators, assaults, false harges, imprisonment, fabriated
ommuniations, smear " disinformation ampaigns, burglar!,
vandalism, arson, as $ell as lethal fore# 2an! ke! organi%ers
$ere assassinated, and man! are still imprisoned# Among the
hardest hit $ere the 0lak ;anthers " the Amerian (ndian
2ovement, although the Chiano, ;uerto >ian, and anti*$ar
movements $ere also targeted#
The goal of this ounter*insurgen! ampaign $as to
destro! organi%ed resistane movements, using an! means
neessar!# A ma)or fous $as instilling a sense of aranoia "
fear among movements, in order to neutrali%e them# Those
$ho refused to submit $ere targeted $ith harsher methods, and
some killed# 3iolent assaults " deaths ontributed to over*
greater paranoia " inseurit!# 0! exploiting internal divisions
during a time of intense repression, the &0(+polie $ere
suessful in neutrali%ing this first phase of urrent resistane in
'orth Ameria ,but the! ouldn.t kill the spirit-#
C<('TAL*;>< $as exposed after unkno$n persons
broke into the &0(.s 2edia, ;enns!lvania offies in 19F1#
@overnment hearings and in4uiries gave the impression that
C<('TAL*;>< endedS ho$ever, domesti repression
ontinued throughout the 19F0s, /?0s, and /90s# Toda!, ne$
anti*terrorist la$s suh as the ;AT>(<T ACT have legitimi%ed
muh of $hat ourred under C<('TAL*;>< and have even
extended the po$ers of &0(, polie " intelligene agenies#
(n Canada, the >C2; have been one of the best
students of the &0(, serving as a similar national polie fore
$ith a role as a =politial polie= as $ell as an earl! fore of
olonialism# (n the 19F0s the >C2; $ere exposed for arr!ing
out illegal ativities against dissident groups inluding
burglaries, vandalism, theft, and arson# :uring the 199C siege
at Ts=;eten ,@ustafsen Lake, 0C- the >C2; fabriated shooting
inidents " used lethal fore in agreed*upon =no shoot= %ones#
An >C2; media relations offier $as aught on video sa!ing8
=Smear ampaigns are our speialt!=#

C6IN(,9-!R6 (ecni<ues:
23 Surveillance
Axtensive " $ide*spread surveillane $as used to
gather information on groups " individuals, both tehnial
,bugs, $iretaps, telephone, mail, photo " film- " ph!sial
,personal " vehile-# This info often formed the basis for
further C<('TAL*;>< operations# &0( " loal polie
agenies, along $ith other la$ enforement agenies, $ere
involved# Surveillane itself $as often used as a means to
indue paranoia " fear ,b! surveillane being obvious "
belligerent-#
43 &n+iltrators5 in+ormants & collaborators
1idespread use of infiltrators " informants $as a ke!
part of the &0(.s C<('TAL*;><# (nformants, usuall!
disaffeted members or assoiates of a group, $ere reruited
through intimidation and+or mone!# The! provided ritial
human intelligene# (n the ase of infiltrators " ollaborators,
the! also ativel! disrupted organi%ations " enabled &0(+polie
to arr! out deadl! assaults, frame*ups, et#
(nfiltrators inluded &0( agents, underover polie,
and ivilians# (n some polie departments, /red s4uads. $orked
$ith anti*gang units to prevent unit! bet$een gangs "
resistane movements# The! also reruited infiltrators from
gang members faing )ail or for mone!#
(nfiltrators $ere often able to provide information "
resoures ,via their &0(+polie handlers- to the group# 0eause
of their experiene $ith $eapons " violene, the! $ere often
promoted to high*ranking positions in the organi%ation, $ith
some being in harge of seurit! for hapters or leaders#
1'
Ko$ did the movements beome so heavil! infiltratedU
The! $ere ompletel! open " publi organi%ations, $hih
ativel! reruited members from the general publi# (nfiltrators
$ere eas! to plae# The onl! area in $hih seurit! measures
$ere taken $as at the leadership level, and this is $here some
of the greatest mistakes $ere made#
(n both the 0lak ;anthers " A(2, infiltrators gained
aess to this inner irle, fre4uentl! in harge of seurit! for
the group itself# Some pla!ed the role of an /ultra*militant.,
promoting violene " attempting to dra$ the group into
arr!ing out illegal ations# Criminals+hustlers turned
infiltrators $ere also soures of drugs, $eapons, " anti*soial
violene $ithin groups# <ther ativities inluded planting
evidene, stealing funds, sabotage of e4uipment or organi%ing
efforts, suppl!ing information leading to arrests or deaths, as
$ell as spreading disinformation, paranoia, " division#
63 'ad%7ac#et5 or snitch%7ac#et
1hen a genuine movement member is portra!ed as
being an informant ,or a thief, a rapist, et#-# <ften, other
informants are used to spread rumours, plant evidene, et# (n
their efforts to attah a bad*)aket, polie ma! fre4uentl! arrest
a target during raids, but then 4uikl! let him+her go ,$hile
others remain in )ail-# ;olie themselves ma! gossip or leave
evidene indiating a person is an informant#
The purpose of the bad*)aket is to neutrali%e the target
individual as an effetive organi%er# This tehni4ue resulted in
interrogations, assaults, and even exeutions of suspeted
informants ,as ourred among the 0lak ;anthers-#
83 False communications
&ake letters $ere sent bet$een individuals or groups
$ith misinformation ,i#e#, allegations of sexual affairs bet$een
members, death threats, et#-# 1hen hostilities existed bet$een
groups, this $as exploited to the point $here assaults " even
deaths ourred#
Another example of false ommuniations $as the
prodution of fake ne$sletters, posters, et# b! the &0(+polie,
and distributed as genuine movement publiations# This
tehni4ue $as effetive in utting funding for one ;anther
hapter.s breakfast program after offensive omis $ere sent to
funders#
93 Media disin+ormation
(n ollaboration $ith orporate media, the &0( "
polie $ould ondut /smear " disinformation. ampaigns
against movements, organi%ations, " individuals, portra!ing
them as violent, riminal, terrorist, or insane#
:3 )rrests0+alse evidence0+rame%ups
;ett! harges " outright frame*ups $ere used to tie
peop le " groups up in the ourt s!stem, and to imprison man!
$ith harsh sentenes# Constant or massive arrests " harges
drained movements of time " resoures, diverting them from
resistane to legal defense# (mprisonment served to neutrali%e
organi%ers $hile saring a$a! the less*ommitted# Sores of
politial prisoners " ;<1s remain in GS prisons to this da!,
imprisoned in the 19F0s as a result of C<('TAL*;><# Arrests
" imprisonment also served to riminali%e movements "
groups#
;3 Other harassment
<ther forms of harassment used b! the &0( " polie
inluded approahing members at their homes or $orkplaes
for intervie$s, approahing landlords, emplo!ers or famil!
members to exert pressure on members ,i#e#, having them
evited, losing their )obs, or faing ostraism b! famil!-#
Agents $ould also anel bus reservations on behalf of an
organi%ing group, or announe that meetings, rallies, et# had
been anelled#
<3 'urglar"5 Vandalism5 and )rson
&0( and loal polie routinel! broke into offies and
homes in order to steal files, op! them, and+or to destro!
e4uipment# <ffies $ere also set on fire, destro!ing valuable
resoures suh as printing presses, files, arhives, et#
=3 seudo%*angs
&alse groups set up b! polie*intelligene agents to
disredit the movement " entrap genuine movement members#
(n the 19J0s " /F0s, the &0( set up man! pseudo*gangs to
disrupt ampaigns ,i#e#, among ;uerto >ian independistas,
anti*$ar groups, et#-#

2>3 Lethal +orce
Be! organi%ers $ere killed b! polie during raids "
assaults, b! vigilantes ,inluding right*$ing raists-, b! &0(*
polie infiltrators, or as a result of /bad*)aketing.# Sores $ere
killed during the 19C0s, /J0s and /F0s, inluding8
&red Kampton " 2ark Clark ,0lak ;anthers- $ere
both killed during a polie raid on their Chiago home,
in 19J9#
Alprentie Carter " Jon Kuggins ,0lak ;anthers-
$ere killed in 19J9 b! members of a rival group in a
C<('TAL*;>< instigated feud#
@eorge Jakson, a prisoner " a prominent 0lak
;anther, $as killed during an alleged esape attempt in
19F1#
&red 0ennett, an S& 0lak ;anther, $as exeuted b!
omrades after being suessfull! /bad*)aketed. b! an
&0( infiltrator, in 19J9# <ne of the ;anthers involved
in this, Jimmie Carr, $as himself /bad*)aketed. and
exeuted b! other ;anthers in 19F5 ,V-#
223 )ssisting aramilitar" Death S.uads
<n the ;ine >idge reservation in S# :akota, at least JF
members or assoiates of A(2 $ere killed b! 0(A polie, &0(,
and paramilitar! fores ,the @uardians <f the <glala 'ation,
@<<'s, as the! referred to themselves- from 19F9*FJ# The
@<<'s, emplo!ed b! a orrupt tribal president, $ere armed,
e4uipped, and supported b! the &0( as part of its ounter*
insurgen! effort against (ndigenous resistane# The! arried
out a reign of terror against A(2 " traditionalists on the
reserve, inluding fire*bombings, assaults, drive*b! shootings,
and killings#
<ther examples of the use of paramilitar! " vigilante
groups inlude the &0(.s assistane to right*$ing groups suh
as the 2inutemen, Seret Arm! <rgani%ation, and the Bu Blux
Blan# These and other groups $ere provided information,
e4uipment and $eapons to arr! out assaults and lethal attaks#
Some $ere also linked to GS militar! intelligene units#
;aramilitar! death s4uads are ommon in the global south#
1)
!OI2TE-9+?O !ase Studies
)ssassination o+
Fred 1ampton & Mar# !lar# 2=:=
&red Kampton " 2ark Clark $ere members of the
Chiago hapter of the 0lak ;anther ;art!# Kampton $as a
!oung " promising leader, a highl! effetive organi%er $ho had
begun forming allianes $ith other movements and even street
gangs in Chiago, inluding the 0lakstone >angers#
(n 19J?, &0( infiltrator 1illiam <.'eal )oined the
hapter# <.'eal $as a pett! riminal, harged $ith ar theft
and impersonating an &0( agent using false (:# (n exhange
for dropping these harges, <.'eal agreed to infiltrate the
Chiago hapter# Ke 4uikl! beame head of seurit! and
Kampton.s bod!guard# This
$as based on his experiene
$ith $eapons " violene#
(n order to stop the
;anther+0lakstone >anger
alliane, fake letters $ere sent
to both groups $ith $arning "
threats about one or the other#
This later resulted in violent
onflits bet$een the groups,
instigated b! <.'eal#
<.'eal onstantl!
agitated for armed attaks "
robberies, offering training "
$eapons ,the /ultra*militant.-# Ke reommended getting a
plane to bomb it! hall, that all ;anthers be armed, and that an
eletri hair be installed in order to interrogate+torture
suspeted informants ,all refused-# Ke himself brought in
firearms used as a pretext for a polie raid in June 19J9 of the
;anther offies# Suh raids $ere again arried out in Jul! "
<tober of that !ear#
<.'eal, along $ith other infiltrators, also stole ;anther
finanial reords, files, books, tapes, films, et# in order to
sabotage their efforts# The &0( also manufatured fake omis,
$hih $ere sent to funders of the 0reakfast ;rogram# The
omis $ere so offensive that man! funders $ithdre$ their
support#
(n 'ovember 19J9, the &0( and loal polie began
planning the assassination of Kampton# <.'eal supplied a
detailed floor*plan of Kampton.s apartment, inluding his bed
and the loation of his head $hile sleeping#
<n :eember 7+J9, fourteen heavil! armed polie
raided the apartment using a $arrant to searh for Hillegal
$eapons#D Aarlier that night, <.'eal had made a dinner for the
residents, inluding Bool*Aid spiked $ith a sleeping agent# At
around 7890 A2, polie kiked in the door and immediatel!
shot 2ark Clark, $ho $as seated in the front room and armed
$ith a shotgun ,seurit! against )ust suh a raid-#
Gnfortunatel!, Clark $as passed out due to <.'eal.s Bool*Aid#
;olie then direted their gunfire against the $all
$here Kampton.s bed $as and in the area of his head# 0oth
Kampton and Clark $ere killed, $hile others $ere $ounded#
Chiago polie laimed it $as a /$ild shootout. $ith heavil!
armed ;anthers, although the onl! shot fired b! the ;anthers
$as $hen Clark.s shotgun $ent off in reflex to his being shot
b! polie# ,<='eial reportedl! killed himself in the 19?0=s-
Douglas Durham5 2=;6%;9
:ouglas :urham $as a non*'ative infiltrator into the
Amerian (ndian 2ovement, $orking for the &0(# Ke $as a
former (o$a polie offier $ho had also $orked for the C(A
and $ho had some Speial &ores militar! experiene# Ke $as
trained in demolitions, sabotage, burglar!, et#
(n the earl! 19J0s he $as involved $ith organi%ed
rime, inluding a prostitution ring# This ativit! led to
onflits $ith his $ife, $ho died as a result of a violent assault
b! :urham in Jul! 19J7# Ke $as fired from the polie and
found to be a violent shi%oid Hunfit for publi servie#D
:urham again began $orking as a polie intelligene
agent in 19F1# Ke $as present during the siege at 1ounded
Bnee 19F9, posing as a reporter# Ke then )oined the (o$a
hapter of A(2, d!eing his hair blak and $earing bro$n
ontat lenses# Ke laimed to be a 4uarter Chippe$a#
0ased on his bakground " skills, :urham beame
head of seurit! for national A(2 and a bod! guard to :ennis
0anks, one of A(2.s national leaders# :uring the 1ounded
Bnee trials of 19F7*FC, :urham oversa$ all legal disussions "
strategies, as $ell as taking ontrol of muh of A(2.s overall
administration through its national offie in 2inneapolis
,inluding funds-#
Like other infiltrators, :urham advoated outrageous
shemes inluding kidnapping politiians, armed
onfrontations, et# Ke is suspeted in the death of at least one
personEJanita Aagle :eer, $ho $as killed in April 19FC#
:urham $as the last person seen $ith her after he piked her up
from a relative.s house# Aagle :eer had harged 1illiam
Janklo$, then*attorne! general of S# :akota ,later governor-
$ith rape#
(n 2arh 19FC, la$!ers $orking on the 1ounded
Bnee defense ommittee obtained &0( files as part of ourt
dislosures, one of $hih ontained a report signed b! :urham#
1hen onfronted, :urham akno$ledged his role as a federal
infiltrator# Kis exposure further demorali%ed A(2, $hih $as
then suffering under intense repression, inluding deaths,
assaults, and imprisonment of its members#
For (ore 5nfo on these case studies: Agents of 'epression
the #(&)s Secret *ar Against the (lack Panther Party and the
American &ndian %ovement6 b! 1ard Churhill " Jim 3ander
1all, South And ;ress, 1990 edition#
11" Case Studies
of Informants & Infiltrators
?uebec5 FL? &n+iltrator
(n the 19J0s and earl! =F0s, the Iuebe Liberation
&ront ,&LI- arried out urban guerrilla struggle# Carole de
3ault $as a !oung ;arti Iebeois ativist, a sovereigntist group
that shared a similar goal to the &LI of independene# She $as
dra$n to the &LI=s struggle, but then beame a paid informant#
Ker real ativism $as $ith the reformist ;IS she disagreed $ith
the militant &LI ations sine it threatened the =legitimate=
$ork of the ;I# This is an example of an informant that both
infiltrates a group but is at the same time an ativist*turned
informant#
1+
1illiam <='eal,
&0( gangsta (nfiltrator
*erminal )rrests5 4>>2
The arrests of the militant group =@erminal= on their
$a! to the anti*&ree Trade Area of the Amerias protests in
Iuebe Cit!, April 5001, $as the end of a months*long
underover operation# The group, based in 2ontreal, $ere the
target of a polie operation based on surveillane that indiated
that one member of the group $as looking for a )ob#
;olie set up a fake furniture moving ompan!,
omplete $ith offie and truks, staffed b! underover polie
agents, and postered the neighborhood $here the member
resided# Ke applied, and for several months $orked alongside a
polie agent $ho eventuall! infiltrated the group#
Their arrests $ere on the eve of the mass protests of
April 50*55, and $ere the fous of intense media overage
$hih polie used to further )ustif! their massive seurit!
operation# Those arrested $ere aught $ith gas masks, smoke
grenades, and Thunderflashes ,a po$erful =fireraker= used b!
the militar! as a grenade simulator during training-# :espite
this, polie and media portra!ed them as an =armed group=#
This example sho$s ho$ polie $ith huge budgets for
ma)or seurit! operations an invest tens of thousands of dollars
for high*profile arrests of lo$*level militants#
Operation 'ac#+ire:
F'& )rrests o+ @LF5 4>>8%4>>:
(n 5007, the &0( launhed <peration 0akfire,
merging seven investigations in its ;ortland, <regon, offie#
These involved 1J different attaks arried out b! the Aarth
Liberation &ront ,AL&- bet$een 199J*5005 throughout the
$estern GS that aused
over W?0 million in
damages#
(n :eember
500C " Januar! 500J,
the &0( indited five
$omen and six men on a
total of JC harges,
inluding arson, use of
destrutive devies,
onspira!, and des*
trution of an energ!
failit!# <ne prisoner
killed himself $hile in
ustod!# These arrests
$ere primaril! the result
of one single informant8
Jaob &erguson#
&erguson had partiipated in some of the AL& ations
under investigation and provided the &0( $ith the names of
others that $ere involved# Ke $ore reording devies to ath
them making inriminating statements about the ations# 0ased
on these, searh $arrants $ere issued for homes and businesses,
$here the &0( sie%ed omputers, manuals, fake (:=s, lothing,
tools and other e4uipment that $ere sub)eted to forensi
investigations#
&erguson $as reportedl! a long*time heroin addit
$ho began ollaborating $ith the &0( in 5007# :espite his
addition he appears to have had the trust " onfidene of the
group, $ho spoke openl! $ith him about illegal ations $hile
he seretl! taped them#
1#" Security 2uidelines
23 @stablish securit" guidelines appropriate for your
group2s level of activity. .o collaboration with police or
intelligence agencies is a good starting point. .o
discussion of illegal activities in any public meeting or
space. 3eep control of access to keys, files, funds,
e4uipment, etc. within the hands of trusted members.
5ake duplicates of important files/info, etc., and store at a
safe 6 secret location. %et up a group of trusted
members who others can go to with concerns about
security, police infiltration, informants, etc.
43 Deal openl" & directl" with the form and content of
what anyone says or does, whether the person is a
suspected agent, has emotional problems, or is simply
na7ve.

63 'e aAare o+ Agents Provocateurs & criminal
elements who constantly advocate risky illegal actions,
and who may also have access to weapons or other
resources they want to share with the group. 5any
groups in the 1980s,90s clearly compromised basic
principles in order to accommodate this type of infiltrator.
83 DonBt accept ever"thing "ou hear or read as +act3
*heck with the supposed source of the information before
you act. -ersonal communication between estranged
members could have prevented or limited many +:"
operations in the 1980s,90s.
93 Do not pass on harm+ul rumours about others;talk
to trusted friends &or group members responsible for
dealing with covert intervention'. )void gossip about
others, especially over telecommunications.
:3 Veri+" & double%chec# all arrangements for housing,
transportation, meeting rooms, etc., to ensure they have
not been cancelled or changed by others.
;3 Document all +orms o+ harassment, burglary,
assaults, raids, arrests, surveillance, attempts to recruit
informants, etc. to identify patterns and targets. These
can also be used for reports and legal defense.
<3 Do $OT tal# Aith an" police or intelligence agents3
<o .=T allow them into any residence without a warrant.
Try to get fotos of agents involved. "f na7ve members do
engage in conversations with police or agents, e>plain the
harm that could result.
=3 )lert others i+ police or intelligence harassment
increases, &hold meetings, make press releases, etc.'.
This makes other groups aware of repression and can
limit further harassment through e>posure.
2>3 repare group members to continue organi/ing if
leaders are arrested, et# This inludes sharing kno$ledge "
skills, publi ontats, et#
1-
&0( hipp! (nformant Jaob &erguson
Anti-Copyrigt: Reprint & *istri4ute At =ill
F'or photocopying purposes print out at /00 dpiG
Resist te System of Surveillance & Social Control
A4ove: )em*ers of !anadian military Hoint Tas1 'orce 2; 0elow: Surveillance cameras in -ondon England
/igt /or /reedom>
R,SIS(-R,SIS(- R,SIS( (?, !69IC, S(A(,>>>