A new name, Ian McCredie – another former MI6 spy who once worked for Shell – has popped up in an article about the Nigerian OPL 245 corruption scandal engulfing Shell and ENI. See: How Shell used former British spies to gather intelligence while negotiating purchase of OPL 245

The article says in relation to the Malabu oil scam, that Shell set up an intelligence network made up of some of Europe’s top spies. Former British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6) agents, including Guy Colegate and John Copleston, are identified as members of the Shell Intelligence Network Committee (SINC) “set up by Ian McCredie, a respected spy.” The article goes on to say that there is no suggestion of any wrongdoing by him.

Ian McCredie CMG OBE, (AKA Ian Forbes McCredie) is a former senior MI6 agent who later became head of Shell Global Security and part of Hakluyt & Company, a corporate intelligence firm.

SINC actually stands for Security Information Network Centre. This 22-page CONFIDENTIAL – recipient “eyes only” SINC document from 2009 shows that SINC was very much involved in Shell security operations in Nigeria.

For example, the document shows that Shell’s hired spooks were closely monitoring the activities and actions of supporters of the late Ken Saro-Wiwa and Ogoni groups – “in particular MOSOP”.

It was leaked to me by a senior Shell spook. My spy inside Shell’s nest of spies. One of the good guys in this world.

Hakluyt & Company, a commercial offshoot of MI6 closely associated with Shell, was also carrying out intelligence operations in Nigeria for Shell during the relevant period.

In a New York Times article published on 1 February 2015 about his wife, the writer Katherine Heiny, Ian McCredie is described as a spy who used to be under a death threat from the K.B.G.

When I tried to contact Ian McCredie by email in 2011, I received an automated but very revealing response:

From: [email protected]

Date: 12 April 2011 21:19:23 GMT+01:00

To: [email protected]

Subject: Out of Office AutoReply: Test

I retired from Shell on 31 Dec 2010 but can be contacted on [email protected] or +44 (0) 20 7491 5213.

Nico den Boer will be acting Vice President for Corporate Security until my successor assumes the role.

The automated reply provides absolute confirmation of his association with Hakluyt.

I published a related article: Royal Dutch Shell Spooks

Yesterday, I sent Mr McCredie an email via Hakluyt asking him if he wanted to see a draft of this article to correct any inaccuracy. Since the email was not returned to me as being undelivered, it seems he is still connected with Hakluyt, who still work for Shell.

What it all boils down to is a network of former spies exploiting their exotic background and mastery of the dark arts for monetary purposes. There may be public interest or ethical issues involved but there is nothing illegal in offering such specialist services.

I guess the question is just how far some may be prepared to go for personal aggrandisement or to serve a valued corporate multinational client when billions of dollars are in play, as is sometimes the case in the oil industry.

(I subsequently sent a copy of the above draft to Ian McCedie via his Hakluyt & Company email address. The email was not returned as being undelivered)

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