A 40-year-old Australian Defence Force (ADF) army private and her 62-year-old husband have been arrested and charged with spying for Russia, as part of a sting operation named BURGAZADA.

The pair, Kira and Igor Korolev, have lived in Australia for more than a decade and were arrested at home in Brisbane on July 11. Each has been charged with an espionage-related offense, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.

Though the Australian Federal Police (AFP) reassured the public that there is no ongoing threat, the pair were reportedly working together to obtain sensitive information from the ADF for the Kremlin.