It’s a foreign intelligence dead drop, but not as you know it.
Australian Federal Police have confirmed they are investigating how a dead possum allegedly came to be on the grounds of the Russian embassy in Canberra after senior diplomatic staff invited local press into the notorious Griffith compound to remonstrate about their recent treatment.
As relations between Australian leaders and the Putin regime remain strained, the appearance of the mysteriously deceased marsupial in the embassy compound has generated a complaint to police from the diplomats who recently had their lease on new digs overlooking parliament house ripped up.
The Australian Federal Police, who are in charge of security in Canberra’s leafy embassy belt, have booted the handling of the dead brushtail to their local territory policing arm, who also get the thrill of pulling over and booking the capital’s many recidivist speeding diplomats who then routinely bin their fines.
“On Friday, 9 June 2023, ACT Policing received a report of an incident where a dead possum was allegedly thrown into a premises on Canberra Avenue, Griffith,” the AFP told The Mandarin in a statement.
“Police understand the alleged incident occurred on Saturday, 3 June, and are investigating the circumstances of the incident, including what offences may have been committed.
“Anyone with information regarding the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website. Please quote 7452987. Information can be provided anonymously.”
The AFP did not say where the possum is now, nor what will happen to it, or whether the incident investigation has been assigned a codename, like Task Force Mittens or Operation Ushanka.
Possums are common in Canberra, feasting on suburban vegetable patches to the point growers hoping to eat their own produce need to build cages. For the vegetables.
It is illegal to trap or kill possums in the ACT.
The Russians have alleged the dead critter was hurled over the fence in a breach of security, but it is not impossible the incident is a false flag operation. The embassy is known to be heavily surveilled.
Local magpies are also on the security intelligence radar after the Russian embassy minder assigned to guard the relinquished site of the former new embassy in Yarralumla appeared to have cultivated a relationship with a local swoopy.
Research has found that magpies build muti-generational relationships with certain humans whom the birds consider to be friendly, using facial recognition. Conversely, magpies repeatedly and aggressively swoop humans they consider to be a threat, while allowing friendly humans to pass.
It is not clear if the magpie was being cultivated for potential future perimeter defence.
Using birds for security can be a bit of a goose chase.
The United States has previously deployed geese for perimeter security at sensitive locations, like bases, because of their ability to detect and confront intruders and predators.
Canberra’s most exclusive street, Mugga Way — where several diplomatic residences are located — is also home to a roaming pride of peafowl that escaped from a local zoo when it went broke.
The ACT government had planned to cull the colourful but noisy birds for safety and environmental reasons, but aborted the round-up and extermination after an outcry in 2018.
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