The Service

The Raid


Listen Later

In the final episode, we close in on the details around the joint MI6/SIS operation targeting the Czechoslovakian Embassy. Finally, someone who was on the raid breaks their silence. But there's a twist...

To see more images and details about the series, vist the website here.

Wadestown, Wellington: 1986. A group of MI6 and SIS intelligence officers break into the Czechoslovakian Embassy to steal codes used by Warsaw Pact countries to share secret messages. It's the height of the Cold War and knowing what the enemy was up to could, it was argued, save the world from nuclear war. But breaking into an embassy also put New Zealand outside international law, in breach of the Vienna Conventions.

Over five episodes, John Daniell and Guyon Espiner have investigated the politics, spycraft and alliances that led up to one of New Zealand's biggest missions of the Cold War. As Gerald Hensley, the Co-ordinator of Domestic and External Security 1987-89, says, being able to decipher the enemies codes was "the dream". They've also told the story of John's family and the work they did for the SIS, known as The Service.

Now, in Episode 5, we tell the story of the raid itself and what happened that night in 1986.

We also talk about how the codes work and the people whose job it is to crack them, and ask why the Czechoslovakians were targeted and who approved the mission. Czech investigative reporter Robert Brestan tracks down archives in Prague and speaks to diplomats and officials about what they know of the raid.

Then we talk to the man who led the mission for the NZSIS... and hear his surprising version of events.

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

The ServiceBy RNZ

  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3
  • 4.3

4.3

29 ratings


More shows like The Service

View all
Saturday Morning by RNZ

Saturday Morning

41 Listeners

Sunday Morning by RNZ

Sunday Morning

10 Listeners

SpyCast by SpyCast

SpyCast

1,504 Listeners

Here Now by RNZ

Here Now

1 Listeners

Gone By Lunchtime by The Spinoff

Gone By Lunchtime

26 Listeners

FROM ZERO by RNZ

FROM ZERO

1 Listeners

The Science Of… by RNZ

The Science Of…

1 Listeners

Go Ahead Caller by RNZ

Go Ahead Caller

2 Listeners

Slice of Heaven by RNZ

Slice of Heaven

2 Listeners

The Lost by RNZ

The Lost

41 Listeners

Pants on Fire by RNZ

Pants on Fire

104 Listeners

The Worst Sitcom Ever Made by RNZ

The Worst Sitcom Ever Made

7 Listeners

The Detail by RNZ

The Detail

53 Listeners

A Moment In Crime by NZME

A Moment In Crime

46 Listeners

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford by Pushkin Industries

Cautionary Tales with Tim Harford

5,113 Listeners

Best of Storytime by RNZ

Best of Storytime

2 Listeners

The Citizen's Handbook by RNZ

The Citizen's Handbook

3 Listeners

True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics by SPYSCAPE

True Spies: Espionage | Investigation | Crime | Murder | Detective | Politics

1,960 Listeners

After the Virus by RNZ

After the Virus

0 Listeners

Cover by BBC Radio 5 Live

Cover

278 Listeners

When the Facts Change by The Spinoff

When the Facts Change

16 Listeners

Short Story Stack by RNZ

Short Story Stack

0 Listeners

British Scandal by Wondery

British Scandal

2,441 Listeners

Fight for the Wild by RNZ

Fight for the Wild

3 Listeners

Short History Of... by NOISER

Short History Of...

2,610 Listeners

Sci Fi / Sci Fact by RNZ

Sci Fi / Sci Fact

3 Listeners

Hair and Loathing by TAHI

Hair and Loathing

0 Listeners

What It Was Like by Superreal

What It Was Like

265 Listeners

Deer Wars by RNZ

Deer Wars

3 Listeners

The Spy Who by Wondery

The Spy Who

548 Listeners

Voice of Tangaroa by RNZ

Voice of Tangaroa

0 Listeners

30 with Guyon Espiner by RNZ

30 with Guyon Espiner

13 Listeners

The Stolen Children of Aotearoa by RNZ

The Stolen Children of Aotearoa

0 Listeners

Tukua by RNZ

Tukua

1 Listeners