Section 23 - Illegal foreign intelligence

• Until 1968: Section 11, between 19691971: Section 2 of Directorate D, between 1974-1989: Section 23 – Section selection, education and steering of the illegal foreign intelligence

Chief:

• 1971 – Lt.Col. Štěpán Meixner "Mráz"

Section 23 recruited, selected and prepared candidates for illegal foreign intelligence activity. It sent out illegal intelligence agents and directed the illegal foreign intelligence apparatus abroad. It built and organised mutual operative contacts with the illegal foreign intelligence apparatus. It directed the network of agents created abroad or taken over by the illegal foreign intelligence apparatus. Based on the goals and tasks of the illegal foreign intelligence postulate by the minister of interior of the ČSSR, it organised the assessment of buildings and gathering of secret signals, information and documents on the political, military, science and technological and economic potential of the “capitalist“ states, with the goal of uncovering plans and intentions of “imperialist“ countries against the ČSSR and the Commnist countries as well as the measures of the intelligence and counterintelligence bodies against the ČSSR.