Arrested Canadian police official had access to foreign intelligence

A senior Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) intelligence officer arrested last week for allegedly stealing sensitive documents had access to information from Canada's foreign allies, the RCMP said Monday.

Cameron Ortis, who was arrested Thursday, served as the Director General of the RCMP's National Intelligence Coordination Centre and "had access to information the Canadian intelligence community possessed," the RCMP commissioner said in a statement.

"He also had access to intelligence coming from our allies both domestically and internationally," said Commissioner Brenda Lucki.

"We are aware of the potential risk to agency operations of our partners in Canada and abroad," the statement said, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Lucki did not specify which foreign organizations may have been exposed to the theft of secrets.

Canada is a member of the "Five Eyes" intelligence alliance with Australia, New Zealand, Britain and the United States.

The Globe and Mail reported Saturday that Ortis's arrest was linked to a major corruption investigation into a $230-million fraud scheme allegedly run by senior Russian interior ministry and tax officials.

Ortis, who has worked for the RCMP since 2007, faces five charges under Canada's criminal code and its Security of Information Act.