The Secret Life of Kiwi CIA Spy Kit Bennetts

RNZ's new podcast 'The Agency' uncovers the story of Kit Bennetts, a Masterton-born SIS officer recruited by the CIA during the Cold War Sutch spy case.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 8, 2026, 5:39 AM EDT

Source: RNZ Pacific

The Recruitment and the Sutch Connection

Kit Bennetts, born and raised in Masterton, was at the center of one of New Zealand’s most notorious intelligence mysteries before his CIA recruitment. He was part of the SIS team that tracked Dr. Bill Sutch, a senior public servant accused of breaching the Official Secrets Act in 1974. Though Sutch was acquitted, Bennetts’ experience monitoring Sutch’s clandestine meetings with Soviet officials—such as Dimitri Razgovorov—made him an ideal candidate for the American intelligence apparatus.

Operations and "Dead-End Technology"

In his first extensive public interview, Bennetts describes working "belly-to-belly" with senior Soviet officials. His primary mission involved a sophisticated deception operation: funneling "dead-end technology" into the Soviet system to exhaust America's Cold War rival's resources and stall their technological advancement. To support his deep-cover identity, Bennetts traveled extensively through the Pacific and the United States, even developing a complex backstory that involved proximity to Air Force jet developments and high-level visits to Washington D.C.

Transformative Analysis: The Legacy of Kiwi Intelligence

The release of The Agency signifies a rare breach in the traditionally silent culture of New Zealand’s intelligence community. Historically, the SIS and its officers have remained out of the public eye, but Bennetts’ story suggests a far more integrated relationship between New Zealand and the CIA than previously acknowledged during the 1970s and 80s. By revealing new evidence in the Sutch case alongside Bennetts' personal journey, the podcast reframes New Zealand not just as a passive observer of the Cold War, but as an active, albeit secret, participant in global counter-intelligence.