Civilian Espionage Forces

by Ultimatum

This document describes how to form a civilian spy unit for many practical applications. The information described herein comes from books, files, and personal experience. All the information provided is for the average citizen, and can be utilized by any individual. Be advised: using this information could potentially land you a long stay in a federal hotel. I strongly advise anyone reading this to not follow through on it. Use it to protect yourself instead. I cannot be held responsible for your actions.

All currency notations represent US dollars.

Abstract

What exactly is civilian espionage? I like to call it “tangible hacking.” Basically, it’s the same thing as computer hacking, except a building represents the target computer and you represent the packets. There are many practical uses for civilian espionage. For one example, many bail bondsmen (bounty hunters, in other words) will hire civilian espionage forces to scout out the position of a mark. In return, the civilian espionage force gets a cut of the bounty.

Briefing Information

First and foremost, you need to assemble a trustworthy team. The team should consist of a driver (or “transporter”, just because it sounds better than it actually is), a lookout, a surveillance specialist, and no more than two emissaries (or scouts for those of you that don’t know what that means). Second, each unit should be equipped with specific gear.

Transporter
- Fast, inconspicuous vehicle suitable for transporting the rest of the team (usually a sedan of some kind or a minivan, and yes, minivans can go very fast nowadays)
- Roadmap and satellite photo of the area
- Motorola T6400 GMRS two-way radio (about $50/radio)
- A cell phone or text pager
- A police scanner ($30 and up)
- A police radar detector with VG-2 cloaking or a jammer (both may be illegal in your area) (Detectors sell for $25 and up, jammers sell for $200 and up)

Lookout:
- Camouflage clothing ($15 and up)
- Satellite photo of the area
- Motorola T6400 FRS/GMRS two-way radio
- Binoculars ($10 and up)
- Canteen or bottled water
- Extra batteries for all electronic equipment

Emissaries:
- Same gear as the lookout
- GPS receiver ($200 and up, unnecessary if the team plans on keeping close proximity to one another)
- A backpack
- Tool set with flat-head, Philips, and hex drivers (computer repair kits normally carry these) ($20 and up)
- Small flash lights ($10 and up)

Surveillance specialist (SS):
- Same gear as the emissaries
- Night vision with infrared capability (if the binoculars aren’t already equipped with this) (about $150 for a simple, hand-held unit)
- GPS receiver (required, even if the rest of the team doesn’t use them)
- A cell phone or text pager
- [Voice-activated] phone-tap (about $60 to assemble)

I know what you’re probably thinking. Why do I need a canteen or bottled water? The answer to that is simple: you’re going to be nervous about this. (The day you’re not nervous is the day you get caught, or the day you should quit.) One of the things that happens to many people when they get nervous is cotton-mouth. It makes it very hard to swallow, thus making it very hard to focus on the task at hand. On a related note, if you’re too nervous about the undertaking, you should probably not do it. If it has to be done, however, give yourself access to a pain killer or a *MILD* sedative; 750MG of Vicodin should do just fine.

The two-way radios are labeled as Motorola T6400s for good reasons. First, they serve as a communication medium between the emissaries, the lookout, and the SS. Second, the T6400s are dual FRS/GMRS, and have exceptionally useful built-in capabilities for a job such as this. There are a few things to understand about FRS. First, there is no license required to transmit on FRS (family radio service). The FRS channels are defined as channels 1 through 14 and can transmit up to two miles. There is a downfall to FRS: anyone can listen in. This is why FRS (as well as GMRS) implements privacy codes, which are like sub-channels. There are 38 privacy codes per channel. In order for anyone to hear you while you’re on a privacy code, they must be on the same channel as you, as well as the same privacy code. However, there is another problem here: many radio manufacturers, such as Motorola, implement scanning functions that will not only scan the radio channels, but every privacy code as well. As soon as chatter is found, the radio stops scanning and outputs the chatter. So, once again, why the Motorola T6400? On this particular model of radio (as well as most other combo FRS/GMRS radios), the first seven channels can transmit at GMRS frequency, which is slightly over five miles, even though they’re FRS. This is good if your drop point is kind of far from your target, or if your team splits up (which is definitely not recommended). Second, to prevent your radio chatter from being picked up, the T6400 (as well as most other Motorola Talkabout radios) implements scramble codes. These codes are not a part of the FRS or GMRS services: they are third-party manufacturer specific. In order for someone to hear you, they first must possess a radio with the same scramble codes, as well as be on the correct scramble code, channel, and privacy code. If they’re on the right channel and privacy code but don’t have the right scramble code, they’ll still be able to hear you, but they won’t be able to understand anything that is said. So how is this any safer? Most of the people that use two-way radios use Cobras, simply because they’re cheaper than the Motorola radios. Since the scramble codes are vendor specific, the Cobras do not possess the same scramble codes as Motorola.

A SECURITY NOTE ABOUT GMRS: GMRS channels (15 through 22) are heavily monitored by FCC stations and the DNR. You must possess a license to transmit on these channels. If you don’t, your signal will be triangulated, and you’ll get busted. Under normal circumstances, the fine is $200. But in your circumstances, you’ll probably go to jail. Even if you don’t have any FCC stations or DNR officers nearby, chances are there is a GMRS user nearby. And most GMRS users like to report unlicensed users and suspicious radio chatter. It is vastly recommended that your team doesn’t transmit on GMRS channels, even if you do have licenses.

A SECURITY NOTE ABOUT FRS: Some emergency units have FRS base stations that listen in on FRS channels. I wouldn’t worry about it too much as long as your scramble codes are set, because these base stations aren’t typically Motorola.

Satellite photos of the area are also extremely useful. They can be obtained for free from the Microsoft Terraserver web site (http://terraserver.microsoft.com). If you’re skilled at graphics layering, and have a program that can do such a thing (like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop), you can also download a topographical map, layer it on top of the satellite photo, and set the transparency to 50%. If you don’t mind spending a little money, high-resolution, color, three-dimensional satellite photo models can be obtained by using Earthviewer (http://www.earthviewer.com/earthviewer). The maps produced by Earthviewer show details down to a quarter of a centimeter, and can be used in combination with a Pocket PC and Pocket PC GPS receiver to show you exactly where you are at all times.

Night vision tools can normally be found at a military surplus store, outdoors store (such as Gander Mountain or Cabella’s), or in spy shops. If nothing else, they can easily be purchased online. Infrared capabilities are a must if you’re using a cheaper night vision unit and if the area you’re going into is actually pitch-black. The ideal night vision unit to have would be a headset unit, as most of these will function in seemingly pitch-black areas, and can easily replace binoculars. The downfall to the headset units is that they typically cost upwards of $2000.

There are all kinds of phone-taps that can be made. The one you’re going to want to make is what’s known as an induction tap. It’s simply a tape/voice recorder hooked up to a telephone pickup (which resides in the phone boxes on the outsides of buildings). The following is an excerpt from an article on phone tapping. No author was given, but thanks to whomever wrote it.

“To plug a recorder right into a phone line, take a headset line and cut off the earphones. Pick one of the two earphone wires, and strip it. There should be another wire inside the one you just stripped. Strip that one too, and attach alligator clips to them. Plug the stereo lead of the wire into the microphone jack on the recorder. Attach the alligator clips to the red and green wires inside the phone box.”

If you don’t have a voice-activated tape/voice recorder, you’ll have to set it to record immediately upon installing it.

For those of you with extra money, more guts, and if you know a pilot that owns their own plane (or has access to one), you can make the task a lot faster and a lot more efficient. First, you must know the area you’re targeting in and out. This means every tree, power line, field, forest, etc. in at least a three mile radius. Second, if you don’t already know how, get your team (minus the driver) to learn skydiving. Keep doing it until you’re all absolutely elite at it (or just below jump-master status). Some of you, I can already sense, know where I’m going with this. Third, purchase your own parachuting equipment. The canopy should be black in color. Your next step will be to perform a HAHO jump (high altitude, high opening). On the night of the mission, which cannot be the night of a bright, full moon, have your pilot fly about seven or eight nautical miles from the target at an altitude of about 12,000 feet (absolute, not sea-level). Depart from the plane and immediately deploy your canopy. The tricky part will be maneuvering from your departure point to the pre-determined landing zone. Night vision goggles will come in very handy here. The team should fly in a V formation with the SS leading. The SS will use the GPS receiver (which should be strapped to the forearm) to navigate. Once landed, the chutes should be gathered up as quickly and quietly as possible, hidden, and left to be picked up later.

If you’re like most people, you don’t have the money or the time to learn how to do what is described above. If this is the case, the transporter must deliver you to your drop point and pick you up.

Team Details

The TRANSPORTER and the SURVEILLANCE SPECIALIST The SS will ride with the transporter around the target area no more than a day and no less than six hours prior to zero hour (the time that the team plans to make their move). During this time, the transporter will look at a road map of the area and follow all possible routes in and out. The SS will be mapping out the route taken by the transporter on the GPS receiver. This will mark the perimeter and any roads the team can make a run for if anything happens. He will also be taking note of any particular obstacles along the way, such as houses spaced close together, areas with no cover, fences, dogs, etc. He will then relate objects on the satellite photo with objects that he physically sees, such as wooded areas, fields, and streams. Any area that could be used as a hiding place should be documented as well.

A NOTE ABOUT DOGS: Obviously, you won’t have any problems with cats or wild animals. Cats don’t protect and wild animals run away. A dog is a different story. Sneaking by a dog is almost impossible, even if they’re asleep. Not only do they hear and smell four times better than humans, but they smell individual scents, too. For example, if you’re making stew, you can just smell the stew and maybe a few of the stronger ingredients. A dog, however, can smell each and every ingredient used in the stew: the beef, the carrots, the potatoes, the spices, etc. When your team arrives, there’s a ton of different new scents for a dog to pick up, such as your clothes, your gear, and the simple human body scent. Dogs will bark excessively at your team if they catch scent of you. This is fine if 1) the dog is restricted from getting at you, and 2) its far away. However, if a dog lies in close proximity to your inbound path, an alternate route should be taken. If no other feasible course is available, there are a couple things you can do. First, it should be noted that this dog is a pet; someone’s friend. Killing someone’s pet is very injudicious, and should be avoided at all costs. If something must be done, I suggest throwing food. This will quickly shut it up and will normally give you enough time to get by. It should also be noted that this will probably have to be done again if your outbound path is the same as your inbound path. Sometimes, however, feeding the dog will only get it to quit barking if you stop moving. If you start moving and the dog starts barking again, your only choice may be to end its life. There’s two ways of doing this: the difficult, dangerous way (but also a sure-fire way), and the easy way. The hard way involves using a blowgun with a dart tipped with ricin. If you’re not familiar with your chemistry and haven’t been properly trained, trying to make ricin is a pretty effective way of killing yourself. Even so, you have to be able to see the dog in order to hit it with the dart. The easy way is to buy about three Hershey bars and throw them in the general direction of the barking. Chocolate contains a chemical which is poisonous to dogs. Either way, if a dog is spotted by the SS, the mission should be postponed until the problem is resolved.

Everyone but the TRANSPORTER The team should study their satellite photos extensively and memorize what exactly they have to do throughout the course of the mission.

The attire of the team should be something that wouldn’t associate you with yourself. Camo is the best choice. All black is generally not a good idea for the outdoors, because unlike the movies, if you wear all black, you don’t blend in with the background; instead, you cut a hole in it.

The flashlights should only be used if it’s absolutely necessary, and in areas where they won’t easily be spotted. The inside of a completely opaque storage-type building is an example.

Six hours before zero hour, the team should avoid eating any large meals consisting of starch. The exception to this would be a small meal of pasta or another food item that gives energy. Peanut butter is a much better solution. It should also go without saying that you shouldn’t eat anything that will upset your stomach or give you heartburn or other stomach problems. The team needs to be able to run if necessary, and think at all times. Eating a heavy meal can make you tired, and counters both these critical operations.

The TRANSPORTER

Once the team is assembled in the transporter’s vehicle, he or she will transport them to the desired drop off point. Once the team is out of the vehicle, the transporter will leave the area as quickly as possible and wait for a call on the cell phone or an SMS message on the text pager to confirm that the team was inserted successfully. The transporter then has two options:

- Drive around the local area
- Park in an unobtrusive location and wait

The thing to remember about driving around is to try and avoid taking the same route over and over again unless you want to get spotted by the same person more than once. Either way, the role of the transporter now is to wait for the SS to call or page with an extraction request, and pay attention to the police scanner and listen for any indication of a dispatch on the team. If a dispatch report is heard, the transporter calls or pages the SS and informs the team of the situation.

Once a call or page is received saying the team is at or near the extraction zone, the transporter races there to pick them up. However, if the transporter is being followed, he or she will respond to the SS and tell the team to lay low until the pursuer is gone. As a transporter, the idea is to lead the tail as far away from the team as possible, then drive around a bit to shake them. If it’s a cop, and the cop pulls the transporter over and asks why they were driving so strangely, it’s actually a good idea to simply say, “I wanted to know if you were following me.” The cop will usually ask why the transporter wanted to know. The best response would be to say “I didn’t know you were a cop. I thought some weirdo was chasing me.” As long as you weren’t doing anything real bad, the most you’ll get is a citation. Afterwards, it’s best to not head straight back to the team, as this could lead the cop right back. Respond to the SS and inform the team of what’s going on, and give an ETA on arrival. Drive around for a bit, then, once you feel it’s safe to return, let the team know you’re on your way. Once you’re close to the extraction zone, let the team know again so they can prepare to jump in. Once the team is in the vehicle, get out of the immediate vicinity as fast as possible.

A NOTE ABOUT POLICE DISPATCHES: If a dispatch is called in on the team, and the cops respond, it’s normally considered a “prowler” call. What generally happens is the cops will race to the reported area, and then drive slow with their sirens off and all their lights off. They’re very hard to spot like this, and they typically don’t have their radar on. As a general rule, if the team is being extracted during a prowler call, each unit should keep an eye out for the police cruisers. Once again, night vision and infrared are effective here. Typically, though, a cop on a prowler call is not concerned with vehicles in the area.

A NOTE ABOUT TEXT PAGERS: Obviously, SMS messaging between the transporter and the SS is much more challenging than calling. In addition to having to type out the entire message, many text pagers don’t have a QWERTY-style keyboard-like interface for typing messages, and even more are too complex as far as instructions are concerned for sending pages. In order to make things easier, it’s wise to establish a set of codes or acronyms for the most common situations. For example:

- 911 = transporter intercepted a police dispatch call or the team has been spotted and/or is being pursued
- IOK = insertion ok
- ER = extraction request
- AEZ = at extraction zone
- BP = being pursued
- OMW = on my way, optionally followed by ETA in minutes (i.e. OMW 5 would mean the transporter is on their way, and should be there in five minutes)

The SURVEILLANCE SPECIALIST

The SS acts as the team director, and is actually the head emissary. He is responsible for the security of the team on insertion, inbound and outbound pass-through, and extraction. He is also responsible for relaying messages from the transporter to the rest of the team.

Upon insertion, the SS leads the team to the nearest cover and calls or pages the transporter to say that the insertion was successful. From there, the SS leads the team along the inbound route, keeping track of their position and . If the SS spots something that he feels is suspicious or could expose the team, he tells them to lay low and scouts ahead. By keeping radio contact with the team, he can tell them whether it’s okay to advance or if they should fall back and wait for him. While inbound, the SS should take careful note of any forms of cover that he potentially missed during the excursion with the transporter. These cover positions could be used as hiding spots in case the transporter intercepts a dispatch call and is unable to make it to the extraction zone in a timely manner (i.e. being pursued).

When the target zone is reached, the SS will reconnoiter the perimeter, any areas where the team could be exposed, and the closest cover areas. If the area is clear, the SS will direct the lookout to a specified area, and lead the emissaries to the mission critical objective. Once the emissaries are in position, the SS task will be to install (or retrieve) the phone tap. (This is where a hex driver might come in handy.)

When the job is done, the SS will first make sure that the lookout is back with the rest of the team. He will then make sure everything seems about like it did before the team first arrived, and then he will lead the team to the nearest cover area. From there, he will contact the transporter and request extraction. From there, the SS will lead the team on the outbound path, which is usually the same as the inbound path. If the transporter is delayed, the SS will lead the team to cover near the extraction zone. Either way, once the team is near the extraction zone, the SS will contact the transporter again.

A NOTE ON TEAMWORK: As the SS, you are not invincible. There’s a reason you have emissaries and a lookout with you. Listen to your team: they might have noticed something you didn’t. That’s why the entire team has surveillance equipment. Just because you’re the SS doesn’t make you dictator. So try not to get power hungry. Remember, you’re responsible for your team’s security.

The EMISSARY

The emissary is the backbone of the team. They’re the ones who do the mission critical work in the target area. If they fail, the mission fails with them.

Inbound and outbound tasks are pretty straightforward. The emissaries are to alert the SS of anything he might have missed. Other than that, they follow the SS to where he leads. If he runs, the emissary runs. If he walks, the emissary walks. This is very important, because he may be leading the team to cover for a specific reason.

At the target area, the emissary is to be as swift as possible with their job. This usually entails photographing, reading, observing, and documenting. The emissary is to be aware if his surroundings at all times and alert the SS if something doesn’t seem right. When the emissary’s work is done, he is to tell the SS.

The LOOKOUT

The job of the lookout is obvious: to alert the team of any possible mission-jeopardizing events. This includes cars, lights turning on, people, etc. These things don’t have to occur in the target area to be considered a thread. The lookout is to stay well concealed at all times in the target area, but have full view of any possible threat sources.

Inbound and outbound operations are the same for the lookout as they are for the emissary.

General Mission Details

There are several fine points that apply to the ground team’s mission in general.

First, be as punctual and quiet as possible throughout the entire delegation. This will help reduce your chances of being caught (or spotted). The cell phone or text pager should have the ring turned off and set to vibrate mode. If this isn’t possible, it should be set to the quietest setting possible for you to hear. The two-way radios should also be this quiet.

Second, if something doesn’t seem right, or if the situation is drastically different from the assumed situation, abort the mission. There’s no reason to risk getting caught.

Third, have an alibi for inbound and outbound movement. If someone yells at you or confronts you, don’t run for cover. They’ll assume you’re up to no good. Some people are crazy. The rest will call the cops. What you should do is say something like “We were trying to walk back to [fill in the blank with the name of one of your team member’s names] house because we just bought this cool stuff a couple of days ago and we wanted to see how good it works. But now we don’t know where we are. I just called my friend and I guess he’s looking for us in his car.” The ‘cool stuff’ you’re referring to is your surveillance equipment, and the friend in the car is the transporter. If they ask why you’re dressed in camo, simply say “It seemed to help the setting.” They’ll probably tell you to get off their property and/or direct you out of there. The mission will be done, but you won’t be in custody.

Worst Case Scenario

The reason I didn’t say to come up with an alibi in the target area is because it’s a very difficult thing to do. The nature of what you’re doing there doesn’t allow for much of a reason as to why you’re there.

If you’re spotted while in the target area, the entire team will be alerted. Everything should stop right there. The one thing that needs to be done, however, is make sure that anything you brought with you comes back with you. This means if you’re opening the phone box, make sure you have the tools that you used to open it. Leave nothing of yours behind. Once you’re secure, the next thing to do is run like hell. The SS will make sure everyone is out of there and then contact the transporter to alert him of the situation. If the spotter doesn’t chase after you, he or she is more than likely returning to call 911 at that very instant. If this is the case, you’re in a better situation than you may think. The SS will make sure that the team isn’t being chased and will lead the team to a cover area close to the extraction zone. Radio silence is to be maintained except for communication between the SS and the transporter.

If the spotter does chase you, the crucial thing to do here is to not stop running. The SS will alert the transporter that they’re being chased. The transporter should make every effort to get to the team as fast as possible, even if it means that the transporter has to physically stop the vehicle in front of the extraction zone. If a team member is caught by the chaser, they are to fight as if the chaser is trying to kill them. Protocol for helping with the fight is completely up to the team.

If the spotter is a cop, running from the target area is up to the team. It should be noted, however, that if you do run, the cop will give chase. If you have a head start on him, it could go either way, because you could in fact lose the cop. This is where the chosen cover areas will determine if your SS picked good ones or not. If, however, you don’t run, chances are, the cop doesn’t know that you’re doing anything wrong, as long as you’re not “caught in the act” so to speak.

One Last Thing…

Missions should not be performed in the same area two nights in a row. The primary goal of civilian espionage is to not get caught. The secondary goal is to succeed in your mission. Make sure you get these in the right order.

Don’t brag about your missions. At all. This goes doubly when talking to people in person. When word gets around about what’s been going on, and eventually it will, there will be investigations, and you won’t want to release any more information than the presence you left in the target area. When in doubt, just think about the rules of Fight Club. (“The first rule of Fight Club: you do not talk about Fight Club. The second rule of fight club: you do not talk about Fight Club.”)

Obviously, use your better judgment when doing this sort of thing. You know whether or not you’re cut out of this sort of obsession (and yes, it will quickly become an obsession with your first successful mission).