Canada: Intelligence chief wanted to sell secrets?

Canada is cooperating with the United States and other allies after a top police intelligence official was charged with leaking secrets, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said yesterday.

Cameron Ortiz, director general of the National Police Intelligence Unit, had access to highly sensitive domestic and foreign intelligence, and his arrest last Sunday raised fears of a possible major security breach, Reuters reported.

Ortiz was charged Friday under a 2012 law used to prosecute spies.

Security experts say the case could damage Canada's position within the "Five Eyes" intelligence-sharing network.

In addition to Canada, the United States, Australia, New Zealand and Britain belong to the intelligence network.

"We are in direct contact with our allies in the field of security, not only with the members of the 'Five Eyes' group," Trudeau said yesterday and added that they are taking this case extremely seriously.

Canadian security officials are trying to determine whether the data was leaked, and are working under the assumption that if it has, China and Russia are the main beneficiaries, sources told Reuters. Canadian officials claim that China, in particular, has been aggressive in its efforts to obtain sensitive information.

Canadian media reported that the US FBI notified Canadian authorities of the possible leak after, investigating a separate case 201, it discovered that someone had contacted the head of the Canadian company "Phantom Security" offering to sell secrets.

The head of that company pleaded guilty last year to facilitating international drug smuggling by supplying drug cartels with encrypted communication devices.