Chapter Three: Meeting places, safe houses and weapons labs
The organization uses various safe houses, each for a different purpose. One house might even be used for several purposes, such as meetings, caring for the wounded and printing tracts, but all must satisfy security criteria. There should be no janitor, or neighbors with children or old people living with them, as they tend to be inquisitive. If possible, there should be more than one entrance or points of escape, more than one access road, and a clear view of surrounding streets. In general, there should be a thorough examination of the neighborhood and the rental terms. Safe houses include: – The leader’s home which he himself selects, or which can be chosen by a deputy leader, and which should be completely secret. It is not to be used for any other purpose. – A communications center, chosen by the radio operator and which is known only to the leader or the member who serves as a go-between. It should be sited between houses that have aerials and should not be used for any other purpose. – An explosives laboratory. This can be any house as no special tools or equipment are necessary. It is chosen by the technician who is to use it with two or three other people. It should have a large kitchen or bathroom. Again, it is known only to the leader or the go-between. – A weapons laboratory. A workshop is needed as a front, one where a drill and lathe are used. It should belong to the organization or to a person who enjoys their utmost confidence and who already has the necessary equipment. No material should be stored there but only taken there from hiding places for repair or construction. Nothing should be left there that might raise suspicion. Its whereabouts should only be known to those who work there, the leader and go-between. – A foundry. A real foundry, belonging to the organization or to a person who enjoys their utmost confidence, is needed as a front, since these are difficult to conceal because of the noise they make. The same rules apply as with the weapons laboratory. – Meeting places, also used for other purposes. These are chosen by those who use them. For example, a nucleus leader asks the members to find one or more houses and to file a report on the exact location, the building’s condition, the rental conditions (for example, if it can be rented using an alias), the papers required, the neighbors within the building and next door, entry and exit points, a road map, conditions in the neighborhood, the neighbors’ social origins, covers that could be used (such as student, worker, artist) and generally any details that might prove useful. The nucleus leader then chooses the most suitable after an on-site inspection. Some members of the nucleus may have sympathetic, discreet relatives or friends willing to provide safe houses, and these should be considered, since they may be rent-free and the occupants could provide a cover in the event of a police raid. The only thing to be confirmed in this case is the discretion of the people involved. The captain and crew of a Bolivian-flagged freighter that ran aground off the northern Aegean island of Thasos last Wednesday with more than 1.5 million packs of contraband cigarettes aboard faced a Kavala prosecutor yesterday on charges including smuggling, illegal entry into Greece and forgery. Police believe the five Ukrainians and one Russian are part of a ring smuggling illegal products into Europe via Ukraine, Russia and Bulgaria. The Pena had been en route to Montenegro from the Bulgarian port of Burgas.
