ITALIAN PRESS DESCRIBES SPY SUSPECT'S FILM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000200710024-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 5, 2010
• Sequence Number: 24
• Publication Date: February 16, 1983
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/05: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200710024-5
ARTICLE APPEARED
ON PAGE
WA SHTNGTON POST
16 FEBPUAB Y 1983
Italian ass Describes Spy :Suspect's FilmT'\
By Sari Gilbert
Special to The Wuhtngton Pat
ROME, Feb. 15-An Italian microfilm
expert arrested yesterday along with a
Soviet airline official had in his posses-
sion hundreds of documents and micro-
films showing Italian and NATO military
secrets, Italian news media reported here
today.
The Italian news agency ANSA said
Azeglio Negrino, 45, an executive of a
Genoa microfilm company, had been
planning to turn over to Viktor Pronin,
46, deputy chief.of Aeroflot's Rome of-
fice, "several hundred microfilms" depict-
ing secret military documents, weapon
designs and models and military instal.
gence officers at an undisclosed location of the microfilm Negrino sought to turn.
in central Rome. ? over to Pronin but said the material in-
In an earlier news report, the Italian' volved was ."of prime strategic impor-
state television, RAI, said that Negrino, a tance." He said the arrest of Negrino and
top officer of the Microlito firm, had the the jailing of Pronin for questioning was
plans for a new NATO air weapon and the climax of a one-year operation by
was planning to turn them over. to his Carabinieri and officials of Sismi, the
Soviet contact. defense intelligence agency.
The Milan newspaper Corriere della The two. men are now being held. in
Sera reported that the microfilm includ- isolation in a Rome prison and are to be
ed pictures of NATO military installa questioned Wednesday by prosecutor.
tions in the Friuli and Veneto regions of ' Domenico Sica who must decide whether-
Italy. or not to file formal charges again
A spokesman for the Carabinieri, the Pronin.. Ansa also. reported today that
Italian police force that. is part of the while a great deal of incriminating ma-
armed forces, said yesterday that Ne- terial had been found in Negrino's Rome
grin's arrest came after he was caught in hotel room, and more in his Genoa home,
lations when he was picked up yesterday ?... the act of passing military secrets. The a search of Pronin's Rome home. had
by national police,- and defense intelli spokesman gave no details of the content; turned-up-no.-hard evidence.
Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/08/05: CIA-RDP90-00806R000200710024-5