Unveiling MI5: Secrets of a Century-Old Spy Agency

The National Archives hosts 'MI5: Official Secrets,' an exhibition unveiling espionage methods and equipment used by Britain's spy agency. MI5 director Ken McCallum aims for transparency, showcasing items like a 110-year-old lemon used by a German spy. The exhibit includes confessions from notorious double agents.

Britain's security service, MI5, is shedding light on its secretive past with a new exhibition at The National Archives. Titled 'MI5: Official Secrets,' the showcase provides a rare glimpse into the clandestine equipment and methodologies employed by the agency over its 115-year history.

Ken McCallum, MI5's director general, stated the agency's intention to be more open about its operations. He highlighted that real intelligence work involves 'ordinary human beings doing extraordinary things,' diverging from fictional portrayals such as those in popular films and TV shows.

The exhibition features intriguing artifacts, including a 110-year-old lemon used by executed German spy Karl Muller to send secret messages during World War One. Also displayed are confessions and surveillance files concerning the infamous 'Cambridge Five,' double agents for the Soviet Union.

(With inputs from agencies.)