Operation Alecto
| Ankae Poisonings | |
|---|---|
| Part of Operation Alecto | |
 | |
| Location | Ankae, Metzetta |
| Target | Free Daxian Movement |
Attack type | Poisoning |
| Weapons | Nerve agent |
| Deaths | 5 |
| Injured | 2 |
| Victims |
|
Operation Alecto was a covert operation carried out by agents of the Bureau of State Protection aimed at killing the members of a cell of the Free Daxian Movement NGO based in Ankae, Metzetta in retaliation for the latters involvement in the abduction and retention of Daxian citizens due to the Foreign Manpower Act enacted by Aciria. On March 2018, three agents are believed to have traveled to Metzetta disguised as tourists where they began surveillance of the FCM employees. Surveillance lasted approximately six weeks before the FCM office was broken in and a nerve agent was deployed. Five of the employees died within hours of exposure, while two survived after receiving emergency care. The survivors were later abducted and secreted away to Daxia were they were placed in trial and convicted of various offences. The BSP continues to actively plan operations targeting Free Daxian Movement until such a time as the organization ceases to operate.
Ankae operation
Operation Alecto was conceived by the Bureau of State Protection as a covert revenge killing due to the continued existence of Aciria's Foreign Manpower Act. The smuggling and retention of Daxian citizens was considered an intolerable act, however it was decided to withhold retaliation towards Acirian state entities and instead target the NGO responsible for acting in Aciria's stead in organizing the luring and transportation of Daxian nationals. The presence of the Free Daxia Movement(FCM) NGO on Metzettan soil has been a continued irritant in Daxian-Metzettan relations and is yet to be resolved in talks. Absolute secrecy and deniability had to be maintained to avoid a deterioration of bilateral relations. The name chosen for the operation, Alecto, is derived from an Istroyan mythological creature tasked with punishing mortals for their crimes. The authorization to proceed with the attack was given the green light after a top level meeting of the political and security leadership. Three agents from the Special Activities Committee, previously briefed on the details, traveled by plane to the Metzettan city of Ankae. After a short stay at the Daxian consulate for further briefing, they booked a hotel room near the FCM branch office. Extensive surveillance took place over six weeks, including the installation of wiretaps and remote cameras inside and outside the office. Individually targeting the employees at their homes was discarded early in the planning of the operation for introducing too many uncontrollable variables such as family members, pets or neighbors. Likewise poison was chosen instead of planting a bomb to reduce the chance of incurring Metzettan civilian casualties. In the early hours of April 14th, the birthday of branch chief Plavio Montino, the agents broke into the office and planted a timed device that would deliver a fatal dose of an unknown nerve agent via an air vent. By nine AM all seven employees had been exposed to the poison, five of them dying within minutes. Raulio Fonte and Evanna Saturnia were discovered gasping for air by a mailman and were taken to a hospital were they received life saving medical attention, only surviving by a stroke of luck. Having found that there were two survivors, the agents decided to abduct the pair. Renting an ambulance from a private company and with forged transfer papers for a hospital in Hanzeong, the two survivors were taken from the hospital under the false pretense and driven to the consulate and later to a private flight that landed them in Heng. The operation was dubbed a success by the Bureau's higher echelons for achieving all its objectives and maintaining absolute secrecy. The identities of the agents involved in Alecto are maintained as a class five state secret.
Victims
All seven of the poisoned individuals possessed Acirian nationality and had Metzettan long term residence permits
- Baldemo Montino - Legal representative of the FCM in Ankae responsible for giving legal cover for the branch's activities, is survived by wife and daughter.
- Plavio Montino - Section chief of FCM in Ankae and liaison with the main offices in Aciria, survived by wife and two sons
- Raulio Fonte - Finance and accounting officer of FCM in Ankae
- Crisa Desantini - Human resources officer in charge of hiring and supplies, survived by daughter
- Ameris Serraro - Outreach officer in charge of making contact with potential targets, survived by fiance
- Dolfano Bernarisi - Intern in charge of IT infrastructure, survived by parents
- Evanna Saturnia - Together with Ameris Serraro in charge of organizing pickups and temporary acommodations of targets
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Baldemo Montino 1975-2018 -
Plavio Montino 1979-2018 -
Raulio Fonte 1983-Alive -
Crisa Desantini 1986-2018 -
Ameris Serraro 1987-2018 -
Dolfano Bernarisi 1996-2018 -
Evana Saturnia 1985-Alive
Trial
| FCM Abductions Trial | |
|---|---|
| Court | 12th Circuit court of Heng |
| Full case name | Government of the Democratic Republic of Daxia vs. Free Daxian Movement |
| Decided | September 19, 2018 |
| Case history | |
| Subsequent action(s) | Members of FCM jailed |
| Court membership | |
| Judge(s) sitting | Jiang Grong |
Having barely survived the poison, Raulio Fonte and Evanna Saturnia were now to be made public examples of by the Daxian justice system. While being allowed to recuperate in hospital, charges of kidnapping of Daxian nationals, terrorism and various migratory offences were raised against the pair. After spending five months in hospital, the pair were transferred to Heng penitentiary to await trial. The televised trial began on September 12th, with the prosecution producing numerous relatives of people lured to Aciria by the ngo with misleading offers of high paying wages and job security, promises that resulted in enslavement instead. While initially pleading no knowledge of the FCM's illegal activities and denying their participation in crimes, when subjected to cross examination by the prosecutors, the two defendants admitted that they violated Daxian immigration laws in the course of their activities and that they did not have a proper vetting process for the job offers they advertised to potential prospects. They also admitted they were fully aware of Acirian's legislation that basically amounted to modern day slavery. The presiding judge of Heng's 12th circuit, Jiang Grong, repeatedly insulted the defendants by calling them disgraceful con artists and foreign slavers. Raulio Fonte and Evanna Saturnia were found guilty of all charges and sentenced on september 19th to life in prison, to be served in the Heng Federal Penitentiary. Despite the quick resolution of the trial, it gained massive media attention, with Daxian online commenters lionizing judge Grong for her harsh treatment of the foreign defendants.