Information
German authorities have arrested a Chinese woman, identified as Yaqi X., on suspicion of espionage for a Chinese secret service. According to the public prosecutor’s office, X. worked for a logistics company at Leipzig/Halle Airport in eastern Germany, where she allegedly gathered sensitive information on the transportation of military equipment and individuals connected to a German arms company. Her activities were part of a broader espionage operation, and she is accused of relaying this information to Jian G., another suspect already being prosecuted.
Jian G., who was arrested earlier in April 2024, is accused of spying on Chinese dissidents in Germany and passing information regarding European Parliament negotiations to the Chinese government. G. had formerly worked for far-right European Parliament member Maximilian Krah, a representative of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, whose offices were searched earlier this year in connection to the investigation. The case highlights growing concerns in Germany about espionage activities targeting sensitive political and military data.
Source: AFP, dpa, Reuters
So what
This arrest, again, highlights the significant ongoing espionage threat posed by China and other hostile states. While this information is of value to China, it is likely that it is also being shared with Russia as part of their invasion of Ukraine. Interestingly, it appears highly likely that this arrest has come from intelligence collected in the Jian case, meaning it is possible that there is more of a network to uncover and that intelligence services in Europe are still tracking down possible spies.
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