Spy Tips on Cell Phone Jamming, Black Bag Missions, and more
Spies, make great neighbors. They’re polite, they keep the lawn trimmed, and they never crank the music at night. They don’t stand out, cause they don’t want to be found. So if you’re hunting for a covert operative and all you got to go on is the names of a few dozen suspects, you’re out of luck. Unless you know where to look.
The garbage someone leave on the curb can often tell you more than a face to face conversation. Shredded documents in the trash used to be a strong indicator that someone had a secret, but nowadays, everyone and their mother shrewd bills to prevent identity theft.
Covert operatives try to avoid assuming other peoples identities whenever possible. There are just too many pitfalls when dealing with somebody your new identity may have corresponded with. What have they said, what have they been told, what have they agreed to. Of course it helps if the person you’re deceiving is terrified of the person you’re pretending to be.
When a pro plans an ambush, they capitalize on the element of surprise. They attack aggressive so there opponent has to react from a place of weakness. An amateur on the other hand, is more likely to take a defensive posture, which means they are the ones acting from a place of weakness.
Cell phone jammers emit radio waves at the same frequency as commercial cell phones. There useful when you really want to make sure someone stays out of touch.
It doesn’t matter if you’re trying to take out a moped or a dump truck, every vehicle has 3 areas of vulnerability. The driver, the engine, and the tires. A can of paint across the windshield can blind the driver. A 50mm cannon can kill the engine. Neither will not guarantee the truck won’t swerve into on coming traffic. But if you force a vehicles front tires of the road, it drastically diminishes its maneuverability. That way it can’t swerve.
Staging a fake death and a believable emergency response is almost impossible on a budget. One loan ambulance isn’t going to sell it. So unless you happen to have a fleet of fire and rescue vehicles with uniforms and a dozen actors you trust. You really do have to call 911. You just have to have called your people first.
Spend a career in covert ops and you get to know some bad people. You work with them, you live with them, you might even trust your life with them. But none of that make them your friend. Because one day, you might have to end it.
Black bag missions are often broken into separate parts. Operatives are given discreet tasks to ensure secrecy. There like jigsaw pieces, you never know if any of the ones your given are from the same puzzle. But if you can get your hands on a corner piece, part of the puzzle starts to take shape. Sometimes you realize all your pieces fit together.