Thread by @MercedesGlobal

#Breaking Global News has learned that the Director General of an intelligence unit at RCMP HQ has been arrested and charged under the secrets act involving espionage by foreign powers. Sources tell Global News this was an extensive national security investigation #cdnnatsec

Global News can identify the senior RCMP member charged as Cameron Ortis. This is a very serious and rarely used charge #cdnnatsec

He was arrested yesterday in Ottawa

A national security source with knowledge of th situation. describes the investigation as “serious spy s$&t” #cdnnatsec

Global News has learned the RCMP believe Mr. Ortis is believed to have stolen “large quantities of information, which could compromise an untold number of investigations.” #BREAKING #cdnnatsec #natsec

#exclusive details on a significant national security breach as a senior member of the RCMP is arrested and charged with what national security sources say is one of the most serious national security cases in the country’s history globalnews.ca/news/5899146/s… #natsec #cdnnatsec

What I’ve reported so far is the tip of the iceberg. Tune in to @GlobalNational tonight for exclusive details about the scale and significance of this national security breach and the senior Mountie arrested and charged #cdnnatsec #natsec

Prime Minister Trudeau ignores repeated reporter questions for comment on the arrest of senior Mountie arrested facing national security charges. Asked him to reassure Canadians about national security. PM kept walking and shaking hands #cdnpoli #exln43 #natsec #cdnnatsec

Liberal campaign officials just told us the PM will comment in a few moments now on this case. Standby #cdnpoli #natsec #cdnnatsec #elxn43

About to go live with the details of what many sources are telling me is the biggest national security breach the country has seen, if what police allege is true about Cameron Ortis, a senior civilian member of the RCMP and the implications for our allies

Here are the exclusive details I can report from national security sources about the Cameron Ortis case and the implications for national security and our allies #cdnnatsec #natsec

For years sources have told me they believed there was a mole in the national security establishment, and specifically the RCMP. Today sources are wondering if they have found that person #cdnnatsec #natsec

Canadian authorities learned about Cameron Ortis from American investigators. They successfully rolled someone there who gave up Ortis' name. Sources says that Ortis tried to sell information to this person. #cdnnatsec #natsec

I'm being cautious with more info on that right now until I know what I can say that won't compromise security. But the Canadians did not figure this guy out on there own. Once the Americans tipped Canada off the RCMP launched an investigation #cdnnatsec #natsec

Multiple sources say they believe the allegations against Ortis are the nightmare national security scenario leak wise. Ortis had access to the most highly classified information in the government and with allies through the Five Eyes and NATO #cdnnatsec #natsec

Ortis had access to the following information: identities of undercover Canadian police and undercover Canadian agents operating domestically and abroad. There is now serious concern about whether any of those identities are compromised #cdnnatsec #natsec

Ortis had access to RCMP high level ops plans including national security, intl operations and criminal operations. Source says the information he had was so highly classified the investigators who seized it didn't have the security clearance to look at it #cdnnatsec #natsec

Source say Canadian and international operations may have to be paused until they can figure out what if anything was compromised by Ortis given his access #cdnnatsec #natsec

Global News has learned investigators believe Ortis was gearing up to sell information at the time of his arrest. I don't know the nature of that intelligence. #cdnnatsec #natsec

While Ortis has been charged with violating the secrets act back in 2015, the investigation has only been going on for months, I'm hearing around 6-7 months #cdnnatsec #natsec

Files Ortis would have had access to range from drug cartels, to Russia, to China, to cyber threats and terrorism #cdnnatsec #natsec

Global News has learned this op not a stand alone, it's part of a broader intl op to roll up breaches in highly classified information and there is cooperation between Five Eyes and NATO countries. Two sources tell me more arrests are coming in other countries #cdnnatsec #natsec

Multiple senior counter intelligence sources in allied countries tell me the threat Ortis represents, if police allegations are true, is unprecedented for Canada #cdnnatsec #natsec

Five Eyes countries are working to figure out what of their sensitive information Ortis had access to, and whether any of it changed hands with foreign powers or criminal syndicates #cdnnatsec #natsec

Senior sources in both the RCMP and CSIS tell me Canada's ability to monitor insider threats leaves quite a bit to be desired, that this is a huge vulnerability and insider threats like this are one of the most significant threats to Canadian national security #cdnnatsec #natsec

People in the national security community who I have spoken with are astounded and shocked Ortis was allegedly conducting espionage. He was very well respected. #cdnnatsec #natsec