Arrested Russian spies used Irish identities - June 28, 2010 - Members of a Russian spy ring arrested in the United States at the weekend used Irish names and false Irish passports. The Irish government is investigating to what extent Irish documents were involved. An FBI affidavit makes clear that Irish passports were used. For a meeting in Rome, its American spy would approach a Russian operative and ask, "Excuse me, could we have met in Malta in 1999?" "Yes indeed,” the answer should be. “I was in La Valetta, but in 2000.” According to Moscow’s instructions, the stranger would then slip the spy a false Irish passport, for travel on to Russia.