I think you mean "sound values".

I suspect that criminality is correlated with stupidity, but that doesn't make all criminals stupid.

E.g. scammers based in non-extradition territories may be making a savvy career choice, if we ignore matters of conscience.

I have insufficient information to assess the level of risk, but I believe corporate espionage has been successful in the past (hello cold war, hello China).

These particular people may have dropped a bollock, but that doesn't mean that crime cannot pay.

*People who are caught

I thought being smart was the core competency of being in the spying business :)

If you're smart about spying, you don't get stories published about it.

It would be more about convincing others you're smart.