A shocking police investigation has revealed that the United Kingdom’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, protected a senior Irish Republican Army (IRA) agent who continued committing serious crimes during Northern Ireland’s Troubles. The findings come from Operation Kenova, a nearly decade-long police probe into the activities of “Stakeknife,” the codename for a top IRA figure who secretly worked as a British informant.

Operation Kenova Findings

Stakeknife operated at the heart of the IRA’s internal security unit, responsible for abducting, interrogating, and killing individuals suspected of providing information to authorities. While carrying out these violent acts, he simultaneously passed intelligence to British security services.

Investigators concluded that MI5 allowed the agent to commit serious crimes due to what they described as a “perverse sense of loyalty,” preventing him from ever being held accountable. The report notes that MI5 even facilitated his absence from Northern Ireland on “holidays” despite being aware that he was wanted by police for conspiracy to murder and false imprisonment.

The agent is widely believed to have been Belfast man Freddie Scappaticci, who died in 2023. He has been linked to at least 14 murders and 15 abductions. While Scappaticci admitted IRA membership, he consistently denied working for British intelligence.

Human Cost of Protection

Northern Ireland’s Troubles, which spanned several decades, claimed about 3,500 lives before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement brought a fragile peace to the region. The investigation revealed that more than 3,500 intelligence reports provided by Stakeknife were not acted upon by MI5, indicating that countless lives could have been saved.

Operation Kenova examined 101 murders and abductions tied to the IRA’s internal security unit. The report criticized MI5 for delaying the release of crucial documents, suggesting that some actions may have aimed to “restrict the investigation, run down the clock, avoid any prosecutions … and conceal the truth.”

Calls for Accountability

MI5 Director General Ken McCallum publicly apologized for the late disclosure, expressing sympathies to the victims’ families and survivors. The report strongly recommended publicly naming Stakeknife and urged the UK government to issue a formal apology to the bereaved families.

The inquiry raises significant ethical questions regarding intelligence operations and the balance between national security and justice for victims. The findings have reignited debate over MI5’s conduct during one of the UK’s most turbulent periods.