Director-General of security for the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Mike Burgess, said in an annual speech he had declassified details of the operation, which used professional networking platforms, email, and social media to target Australians.

He did not name the country involved but said it had also targeted Australia's defense industry, offering money for reports on the AUKUS partnership with the U.S. and Britain to build nuclear submarines.

He said the foreign agency had "successfully cultivated and recruited a former Australian politician" several years ago. He did not identify the politician, and he said the person had not been charged because they were no longer active.

"This politician sold out their country, party, and former colleagues to advance the interests of the foreign regime. At one point, the former politician even proposed bringing a prime minister's family member into the spies' orbit," he said.

This plot did not go ahead, he added, but others did.

Burgess referred to the foreign spies as the "A Team" and said they had tried to attract Australians with national security information by offering them consulting roles.

Australian academics and political figures attending an overseas conference were met by "spies in disguise," he said.

One academic gave the so-called A Team information about Australia's national security and defense priorities, while an "aspiring politician" provided political information, he said.

"ASIO disrupted this scheme and confronted the Australians involved. While some were unwitting, others knew they were working for a foreign intelligence service," he said. Links severed

ASIO severed links between the Australians and the foreign intelligence service, he said, adding several individuals "should be grateful the espionage and foreign interference laws are not retrospective."

Burgess said ASIO had "confronted the A-team directly" late last year, during an online encounter with an ASIO officer, and told it to stop.

"We want the A-team to know its cover is blown," he said.

ASIO has issued a notice to Australian public services warning government employees about the threat, he said.

"We have seen it try to recruit students, academics, politicians, business people, researchers, law enforcement officials, and public servants at all levels of government," he said.