List of historical secret police organizations explained

This is a list of historical secret police organizations. In most cases they are no longer current because the regime that ran them was overthrown or changed, or they changed their names. Few still exist under the same name as legitimate police forces.

Agencies by country

Afghanistan

• Khedamat-e Etelea'at-e Dawlati (KHAD) (Government Intelligence Service), active in the Democratic Republic of Afghanistan

Albania

• Sigurimi (Directorate of State Security), active in the People's Socialist Republic of Albania

Algeria

• Département du Renseignement et de la Sécurité (Department of Intelligence and Security)

Angola

• Directorate of Information and Security of Angola (Direcção de Informação e Segurança de Angola) (DISA), active in the People's Republic of Angola

Argentina

• Sección Especial de Represión al Comunismo (SERC) (Special Section for the Repression of Communism)
• División de Información Política Antidemocrática (DIPA) (Political Anti-democratic Information Division)

• Geheime Staatspolizei (Secret State Police), active in the Austrian Empire

Bolivia

• Servicio Especial de Seguridad (SES) (Special Security Service)

Brazil

• Departamento de Ordem Política e Social (DOPS) (Department of Political and Social Order), active during the Estado Novo (1937-1946) and the military dictatorship (1964–1985)
• Departamento de Operações Internas-Centro de Operações de Defesa Interna (DOI-CODI) (Internal Operations Department-Centre for Internal Defence Operations), active during the military dictatorship (1964–1985)

Bulgaria

• Komitet za dǎržavna sigurnost (CDS) (The Committee for State Security), most commonly referred to as the State Security, or DS, active in the People's Republic of Bulgaria

• Santebal – secret police during the Khmer Rouge period

Cameroon

• Centre National d'Étude et de Recherche (National Centre for Study and Research)

Central African Republic

• Force spéciale de défense des institutions républicaines (FORSIDIR) (The Presidential Lifeguard)
• Unité de sécurité présidentielle (USP) (Presidential Security Organisation – acted as the main secret organisation before and after FORSIDIR)
• Office central de répression du banditisme (OCRB) (Central Office of Banditry Repression)

Chad

• Direction de la Documentation et de la Sécurité (DDS) (Directorate of Documentation and Security)

Chile

• Dirección de Inteligencia Nacional (DINA) (National Intelligence Directorate), active during the regime of Augusto Pinochet
• Central Nacional de Informaciones (CNI) (National Information Centre), active during the regime of Augusto Pinochet

China

• Jinyiwei (Ming Dynasty) (1368–1661)
• Eastern Depot (Ming Dynasty) (1420-1644)
• Bureau of Investigation and Statistics (Republic of China) (1938–1946)

Colombia

• Administrative Department of Security Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS) (1960–2011)

Congo, People's Republic of

• General Directorate for State Security (French: Direction Générale de la Sécurité de l'État)^[1]

Croatia, Independent State of

• Ravnateljstvo za javni red i sigurnost (RAVSIGUR) (Directorate for Public Order and Security) / Glavno ravnateljstvo za javni red i sigurnost (GRAVSIGUR) (General Directorate for Public Order and Security)
• Ustaška nadzorna služba (UNS) (Ustaše Surveillance Service)

Cuba

• Bureau for the Repression of Communist Activities (Batista government)

Czechoslovakia

• Státní bezpečnost / Štátna bezpečnosť (StB / ŠtB) (State Security), active in the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic

Dominican Republic

• Servicio Inteligencia Militar (SIM) – Military Intelligence Service under Rafael Trujillo

Egypt

• State Security Investigations Service (Mabahith Amn al-Dawla al-'Ulya)

Finland

• Etsivä keskuspoliisi (EK) (1919–1937) (transl. "Detecting central police")
• Valtiollinen poliisi (Valpo) (1937–1949) (transl. "State police")

Germany

• Preußische Geheimpolizei (Prussian Secret Police) – active in the Kingdom of Prussia, the German Confederation, the North German Confederation, the German Empire and the Weimar Republic; merged in the Gestapo
• Geheime Staatspolizei (Gestapo) (Secret State Police) – active in Nazi Germany
• Geheime Feldpolizei (Secret Field Police) – The Wehrmacht's version of the Gestapo
• SS-Sicherheitsdienst (SS Security Service) – The intelligence agency of the Nazi Party and the SS
• Ministerium für Staatssicherheit (MfS or Stasi) (Ministry for State Security) – active in the German Democratic Republic during the Cold War

Greece

• Organization for the Protection of the People's Struggle (OPLA)^{[2] [3]}
  • • • National Civil Guard People's Civil Guard
• Greek Military Police, active as a secret police force during the Greek military junta

Guatemala

• Cuerpo de Detectives (Detectives Corp)^[4]
• Policía Judicial (Judicial Police)
• Policía Militar Ambulate (PMA) (Mobile Military Police)
• Guardia de Hacienda (Palace Guard)
• Centro de Servicios Especiales de la Presidencia (Centre for Special Presidential Services)

Haiti

• Service d'Information (SD) (Information Service)^[5]
• Milice de Volontaires de la Sécurité Nationale (MVSN) (Militia of National Security Volunteers, better known as the Tonton Macoutes), active during the Duvalier dynasty

Honduras

• Departamento Nacional de Investigaciones (DNI) (National Investigation Department)

Hong Kong

• Special Branch (British Hong Kong) (1934-1995)

Hungary

• Államvédelmi Osztály (ÁVO) (State Protection Department)
• Államvédelmi Hatóság (ÁVH) (State Protection Authority)

Indonesia

• Komando Pemulihan Keamanan dan Ketertiban (Kopkamtib) (Security and Order Restoration Command), active during the regime of Suharto

Iran

• Sazeman-i Ettelaat va Amniyat-i Keshvar (SAVAK) (National Organization for Intelligence and Security), active in the Imperial State of Iran

Iraq

• Shurta (The Shurṭa), secret police of the Abbasid caliphs active during the Abbasid Empire
• Jihaz Al-Mukhabarat Al-A'ma (Mukhabarat) (Iraqi Intelligence Service), active in Ba'athist Iraq

Ireland

• Criminal Investigation Department (CID)

Italy

• Organizzazione di Vigilanza Repressione dell'Antifascismo (OVRA) (Organization for Vigilance and Repression of Anti-Fascism), active in Fascist Italy and the Italian Social Republic under the rule of Benito Mussolini

Japan

• Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu (Tokkō) (Special Higher Police)
• Kenpeitai (Military Police Corps), secret military police of the Imperial Army, later the army and navy
• Tokubetsu Keisatsutai (Tokkeitai) (Special Police Corps), secret military police of the Imperial Navy, duties later assumed by the Kenpeitai

Mexico

• Dirección Federal de Seguridad (DFS) (Federal Security Directorate)
• División de Investigaciones para la Prevención de la Delincuencia (DIPD) (Investigation Division for the Prevention of Delinquency)

Mongolia

• Dotood Yam (Ministry of Internal Affairs), active in the Mongolian People's Republic

Mozambique

• National Service of Popular Security (SNASP)^[6]

Nicaragua

• Dirección General de Seguridad del Estado (DGSE) (Directorate-General of State Security)
• Ministerio de Seguridad Interior (MSI) (Ministry of Internal Security)

Nigeria

• Nigerian Security Organization (NSO)

Ottoman Empire

• Teşkilât-ı Mahsusa (Special Organization)

Paraguay

• Pyraguës (Between 1814 and 1840, nicknamed Hairy Feet by civilians)
• División Técnica de Represión del Comunismo (Technical Division for the Repression of Communism), active during the El Stronato period, the single-party military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner
• Departamento de Investigaciones de la Policía (DIPC) (Police Investigations Department), active during the El Stronato period, the single-party military dictatorship of Alfredo Stroessner

Peru

• Seguridad del Estado (State Security)

Philippines

• Metrocom Intelligence and Security Group, active during the rule of Ferdinand Marcos
• National Intelligence and Security Authority or NISA, active during the rule of Ferdinand Marcos. Headed by Marcos' trusted military man, General Fabian Ver, who was also the commander of presidential security and in 1981, was appointed as chief of staff of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

Poland

• Urząd Bezpieczeństwa Publicznego (UBP) (1945–1954) – Office of Public Safety, active in the Polish People's Republic
• Służba Bezpieczeństwa (SB) (1956–1989) – Security Service of the Ministry of Internal Affairs), active in the Polish People's Republic

Portugal

• Polícia Preventiva (Preventive Police): 1918–1919, active in the First Portuguese Republic
• Polícia de Segurança do Estado (State Security Police): 1919, active in the First Portuguese Republic
• Polícia de Defesa Social (Social Defense Police): 1919–1926, active in the First Portuguese Republic
• Polícia de Informações (Informations Police): 1926–1931, active during the Ditadura Nacional period
• Polícia de Vigilância Política e Social (Political and Social Surveillance Police): 1933, active during the Ditadura Nacional period
  • Polícia de Vigilância e de Defesa do Estado (State Defence and Surveillance Police): 1933–1945, active during the Estado Novo regime under the rule of António de Oliveira Salazar Polícia Internacional e de Defesa do Estado – PIDE (International and State Defence Police): 1945–1968, active during the Estado Novo regime under the rule of António de Oliveira Salazar
• Direcção-Geral de Segurança (Directorate-General of Security): 1968–1974, active during the Estado Novo regime under the rule of Marcelo Caetano

Republic of China (Taiwan)

• Taiwan Garrison Command

Roman Empire

• Agentes in rebus
• Frumentarii
• Cohors Praetoria (SPQR) (Praetorian Guard) An ancient Roman institution in charge of the Roman Emperor's safety.

Romania

• Direcția Poliției și Siguranței Generale (Siguranța) (Directorate of Police and General Safety) active in the Kingdom of Romania
• Departamentul Securităţii statului (Securitate) (Department of State Security), active in the Socialist Republic of Romania

Russian monarchy

• Oprichniki (1565–1573) under Ivan the Terrible
• Third Section of His Imperial Majesty's Own Chancellery (1825–1880) under Nicholas I of Russia
• Separate Corps of Gendarmes (1836–1917)
• Okhrana (Okhrannoye otdeleniye) (1866–1917)

Rwanda

• Service Central de Renseignements (SCR) (Central Information Service)

El Salvador

• Organización Democrática Nacionalista (ORDEN) (Nationalist Democratic Organization)
• Frente Democrático Nacionalista (FDN) (Nationalist Democratic Front)

Singapore

• Special Branch

Somalia

• National Security Service, active in the Somali Democratic Republic^[7]
• Hangash (Military Intelligence Unit), active in the Somali Democratic Republic
• Victory Pioneers (Neighbourhood watch), active in the Somali Democratic Republic
• Dhabar Jabinta (Division of military police), active in the Somali Democratic Republic
• Red Berets (Presidential bodyguards), active in the Somali Democratic Republic

South Africa

• Bureau of State Security (BOSS), active during the Apartheid era

Soviet Union

• Soviet secret police
• All-Russian Extraordinary Commission (Cheka, 1917–22)
• State Political Directorate (GPU, 1922–23)
• Joint State Political Directorate (OGPU, 1923–34)
• People's Commissariat for Internal Affairs (NKVD 1934–46)
• Main Directorate of State Security (GUGB 1934–41)
• People's Commissariat for State Security (NKGB, Feb Jul-1941/1943–46)
• Ministry for State Security (MGB, 1946–53)
• Committee for State Security (KGB, 1954–91)

Spain

• Servicio de Información Militar (Military Information Service), active in the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War
• Brigada Político-Social (BPS) (Political-Social Brigade) / Brigada de Investigación Social (BIS) (Social Investigation Brigade), active in Francoist Spain
• Servicio Central de Documentación (SECED) (Central Documentation Service)
• Servicio de Inteligencia de la Guardia Civil (Intelligence Service of the Civil Guard)

Uganda

• Public Safety Unit
• State Research Bureau

United States of America

• COINTELPRO, a program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation that included operations directed against Communists, anti-Vietnam War organizers, the Civil Rights and Black Power movements, feminist organizations, anti-colonial movements, and the New Left generally, as well as operations directed against white supremacist and far-right groups.
• CONUS INTEL, a program of the United States Army that investigated and engaged in counterintelligence activities against civil rights and anti-Vietnam War organizations.^[8]
• CONARC, the United States Army Continental Army Command, operated a separate program paralleling CONUS INTEL.^[9]
• Mississippi State Sovereignty Commission, largely confined to the State of Mississippi to resist desegregations

Uruguay

• Organismo Coordinador de Actividades Anti-Subversivas (Anti-Subversive Activities Co-ordination Organization)

Venezuela

• Dirección de Seguridad Nacional (DSN, Directory of National Security)

South Vietnam

• Social and Political Research Service (So Nghien Cuu Xa Hoi Chinh Tri) (during the regime of Ngo Dinh Diem)^[10]

Yugoslavia

• Department for People's Protection (OZNA, 1944–1946), active in Democratic Federal Yugoslavia
• State Security Administration (UDBA, 1946–1991), active in the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
• Counterintelligence Service (KOS, 1946–1991)
• State Security Service (SDB, 1991–2002), active in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
• Security Administration (1992–2002)

Zaire

• Centre Nationale de Documentation (CND) (National Documentation Center) – 1969-early 1980s
• Agence Nationale de Documentation (AND) (National Documentation Agency) – Early 1980s – August 1990
• Service National d'Intelligence et de Protection (SNIP) (National Service for Intelligence and Protection) (August 1990 – May 1997)^[11]

See also

• List of fictional secret police and intelligence organizations
• List of defunct intelligence agencies
• List of secret police organizations
• Police
• Secret police

Notes and References

1. John F. Clark and Samuel Decalo, Historical Dictionary of Republic of the Congo, Fourth Edition (2012), page 134.
2. Novo . Andrew . Birth of the Cold War: irregular warfare first blood in Greece . Small Wars & Insurgencies . 2019 . 30 . 1 . 31–61 . 10.1080/09592318.2018.1554338. 150452858 .
3. Book: Kalyvas . Stathis N. . Rebel Governance in Civil War . 2015 . Cambridge University Press . 978-1-107-10222-4 . 119–137 . Rebel Governance During the Greek Civil War, 1942–1949.
4. Nyrop, Richard F. (ed.). Guatemala: A Country Study (1983), p. 202
5. Abbott, Elizabeth (1988). Haiti: An insider's history of the rise and fall of the Duvaliers. Simon & Schuster. p. 116
6. http://www.aliciapatterson.org/APF001975/Wright/Wright16/Wright16.html "Mozambique: Six Months After Independence"
7. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?frd/cstdy:@field(DOCID+so0125)
8. News: 1971-01-18 . Army Spied on 18,000 Civilians in 2‐Year Operation . en-US . The New York Times . 2023-06-15 . 0362-4331.
9. Gibbons, William Conrad, The U.S. Government and the Vietnam War: Executive and Legislative Roles and Relationships, Part IV: July 1965-January 1968 (Princeton Legacy Library), p. 854.
10. Smith, Harvey Henry, Area Handbook for South Vietnam: Volume 550, Issue 55, p. 220 (1967). U.S. Government Printing Office
11. Encyclopedia: Zaire: a country study. Federal Research Division, Library of Congress. Washington, D.C.. Glickson. Roger C.. 1994. Meditz. Sandra W.. 4th. 319. 0-8444-0795-X. 30666705. Sinai. Joshua. Merrill. Tim. The Intelligence Apparatus and Security Forces.