Former RCMP official investigated for alleged theft of sensitive intelligence to China
The investigation was sparked by the discovery of approximately 500 national security records in Ortis' Ottawa apartment, including 100 'Gamma Special Intelligence' documents from the Five Eyes network. These documents are of such high sensitivity that access is limited even among intelligence officials of Canada’s closest allies.
Cameron Ortis, a former high-ranking official with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), is under investigation for allegedly stealing and processing highly classified intelligence documents from the United States, potentially valuable to Beijing.
According to a report by The Bureau, this development comes after Ortis' release on bail in October 2019, raising concerns among the RCMP about the risk of foreign entities facilitating his escape from Canadian legal jurisdiction.
The investigation was sparked by the discovery of approximately 500 national security records in Ortis' Ottawa apartment, including 100 "Gamma Special Intelligence" documents from the Five Eyes network. These documents are of such high sensitivity that access is limited even among intelligence officials of Canada’s closest allies.
Ortis is accused of preparing some of these records for a meeting, with handwritten notes suggesting potential contact with an individual in Ottawa. His meticulous planning was evident in his "To Do" lists, which played a crucial role in securing his conviction.
The RCMP investigation report, now unsealed, highlights the severe risk posed by the disclosure of these documents, including jeopardizing the lives of human intelligence sources and exposing sensitive intelligence-gathering methods.
The court documents reveal that Ortis had also illegally collected files from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) and the Communications Security Establishment (CSE). The Crown's report underscores the potential for foreign intelligence agencies to draw significant conclusions about Canadian and allied intelligence targets from these documents.
Ortis' actions have been characterized as an asset risk by Crown prosecutor Judy Kliewer. Despite his arrest, many of Ortis' encrypted devices remain inaccessible to the police, containing evidence of his "Project" spanning from 2015 to 2019.
The sensitivity of the information involved led to the dropping of charges related to Ortis' plans to share documents at a pub in Ottawa in September 2019. This decision suggests that the potential damage to Canada's national interest outweighed the benefits of submitting these records as evidence in court.
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