Vladimir Kuzichkin, a KGB spy operating in Iran under the codename Redwood, defected to the West with hopes of medical treatment for his sexual impotence. His defection yielded invaluable intelligence for MI6, but his escape from Iran became an urgent mission as he felt increasingly endangered.
Kuzichkin’s posting in Iran was nearing its end in the summer of 1982, with the prospect of a return to a desk job in Moscow. He had been promised exfiltration to the UK by MI6, but there were initial attempts to persuade him to postpone his defection and continue working for them from Moscow. Ian McCredie, Kuzichkin's handler, offered increased pay, flexibility in his departure, and generous resettlement terms in the UK if he agreed to return to Moscow. However, Kuzichkin displayed significant reluctance and distress, exhibiting symptoms of severe stress, increased drinking, and a failing nerve.
The defector was plagued by nightmares and growing paranoia, exacerbated by information about an investigative team from Moscow arriving to tighten embassy security. A coded message from Kuzichkin to McCredie signaled an emergency meeting. During this clandestine rendezvous, Kuzichkin was visibly hysterical, stating, "I am in great danger. I have no option but to ask you to exfiltrate me immediately from Iran to the UK." He expressed an overwhelming fear of being captured, compelling McCredie to initiate an emergency escape plan.
McCredie devised a risky plan involving Kuzichkin posing as a British diplomatic courier. The escape route would lead him on foot through the Bazargan border crossing into Turkey. The plan hinged on Kuzichkin convincingly playing his role, his forged documents holding up to scrutiny, and successfully crossing before his absence was noted in Tehran. A significant complication arose when McCredie informed Kuzichkin that his wife, Galina, could not be exfiltrated with him due to her inability to pass as the spouse of a British diplomat. Kuzichkin reacted with indifference, even hostility, towards his wife, leading McCredie to suspect Galina may have discovered his defection and threatened to betray him.
MI6 prepared forged documents for Kuzichkin, including a British passport issued to 'Michael Guy Road' and a diplomatic courier's authorization. McCredie also created a travel form, stamping it with a forged Persian signature. The operation's success relied on numerous unpredictable factors, including Kuzichkin's English proficiency and the integrity of the forged documents. Kuzichkin also had a peculiar demand: he insisted on undergoing a circumcision upon arrival in Britain, which MI6 eventually arranged with an army doctor.
Kuzichkin's initial attempt to cross the border was marred by his extreme nervousness, causing him to drop his pen and appear unfit for the journey. The plan was postponed to the following evening. The subsequent night, Kuzichkin appeared calmer and resolute. He successfully navigated checkpoints using his Soviet diplomatic documents in his BMW before reaching the Bazargan border post.
At the border, Kuzichkin encountered Revolutionary Guards. He initially feigned an inability to understand Persian but then, under pressure, switched to fluent Persian before reverting to English and presenting his forged British diplomatic passport. His cover story about seeking Noah's Ark, combined with a carefully managed interaction with a gate orderly who confirmed his arrival by car, defused the guards' suspicion. He was given a ride to the customs and immigration building.
Inside the building, Kuzichkin presented his British passport to Turkish immigration officials. After a tense moment, his passport was stamped, and he walked onto Turkish soil. Two MI6 officers met him, ushering him to a waiting car. He was subsequently resettled in Britain under a new identity.
Following his escape, Kuzichkin underwent the circumcision procedure. Later, he met Chantal van Santen in Morocco, and they married. He established a new life in Hampshire as an acupuncturist, operating under the name Alexander Larkin, a career he had adopted after briefly treating actor Sir Alec Guinness. Despite finding contentment and fatherhood, Kuzichkin suffered from paranoia and a continued struggle with alcohol. He died of a heart attack in 2009 at the age of 62, with the KGB reportedly dismissing him as a traitor, overlooking his significant challenge to their agency.