7 best cloak-and-dagger moments from the Russian spy case

Buried cash, covert meetings in train stations, shortwave radio signals: A look at the Russians' most innovative, and most inane, spy moves

The alleged Russian spy ring evokes both classic - and corny - espionage thrillers.
(Image credit: Corbis)

At times the U.S. government's case against the 11 alleged "deep cover" Russian spies reads like a Cold War thriller; other times, it seems like a spoof, filled with bumbling Austin Powers-like amateurs. The SVR (successor to the KGB) employed techniques both worthy of a James Bond villain (stealth laptop networks) and almost too primitive to believe (invisible ink). Here are seven of the most remarkable spy-vs.-spy tactics — of both varieties — uncovered during the FBI investigation: (Watch Rep. Pete Hoekstra warn these arrests are "the tip of the iceberg".)

1. Secret meeting signals and phrases

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