The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) is Australia's national security service, which is responsible for the protection of the country and its citizens from espionage, sabotage, acts of foreign interference, politically motivated violence, attacks on the Australian defence system, and terrorism.
ASIO is comparable with the United Kingdom Security Service (MI5) and the United States' Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). As with MI5 officers, ASIO officers have no police powers of arrest and are not armed. ASIO operations requiring police powers are co-ordinated with the Australian Federal Police and/or with State and Territory police forces.
ASIO Central Office is in Canberra, with a local office being located in each mainland state and territory capital.
Read more about Australian Security Intelligence Organisation: Command, Control and Organisation, Relationships With Foreign Agencies and Services, Archival Material
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