“It’s not as if there’s a note saying, ‘Greetings from Russia’ or ‘Greetings from Iran,’” according to Youssef , director of intelligence and national threats at the Netherlands’ National Investigations and Special Operations unit. “Sometimes it’s simply: ‘Do you want to set fire to something for €5,000?’”
“Until recently, you mainly saw intelligence services themselves carrying out actions,” he added. “What we see now is that citizens, for payment, for adventure, or for some other reason, are lending themselves for such tasks.”
Ait Daoud warns the growing use of civilian recruits reflects a broader shift in how foreign intelligence services conduct operations — one that complicates efforts to counter their activities.