PST warns students of foreign intelligence recruitment

PST right-wing extremist terrorism spy indicted RussianNorwegian Police Security Service (PST) headquarters. Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Norwegian students have been contacted by foreign intelligence, informs PST, who warns and informs them about the dangers.

Two weeks ago, the Police Security Service (PST) presented its annual threat assessment. Now, Norwegian students are being made aware that they themselves can be attractive targets for foreign intelligence recruitment, writes Universitas.

“Intelligence services are looking for people who can provide information that can enter into interesting environments,” says professional director Jon Fitje Hoffmann from PST.

“We know that intelligence personnel from various services have been in contact with students,” he says further.

The orientation PST gives the students, is information that they themselves should know of who and where they can contact if they experience something, Hoffman refers to as unpleasant.

Master’s degree student in geophysics, Vemund Thorkildsen, says to the student newspaper that he chose to drop participation in a band championship in Russia.

“I know that I have a higher education in something they are interested in. So it might not have been so wise to go to Russia,” says Thorkildsen.

PST itself does not have an overview of which students are most at risk.

“PST has neither the interest nor the opportunity to have a general overview of students before they are contacted. We are dependent on people contacting us,” says Hoffmann.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today