American arrested in Germany for allegedly spying for China

By Marco Krefting and Jacqueline Melcher, dpa

 

FRANKFURT  – A citizen of the United States of America, USA  has been arrested in Frankfurt on suspicion of espionage for China, the German Federal Prosecutor’s Office announced on Thursday.

The man allegedly offered sensitive information from the US military to a Chinese intelligence service, the authority based in the south-western city of Karlsruhe said. The suspect is accused of having declared his willingness to engage in intelligence activities for a foreign intelligence service.

He reportedly worked for the US armed forces in Germany until recently. Earlier this year, it is claimed that he contacted Chinese state entities and offered to pass on information he gathered.

The specifics of the material he collected remain unclear. Officers from the Federal Criminal Police Office arrested the man, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office further reported. Additionally, the suspect’s residence is being searched.

A judge at the Federal Court of Justice (BGH) in Karlsruhe is expected to decide later today whether the US citizen will be remanded in custody. The exact time for this decision was not known.

The prosecutor’s office stated that it worked closely with the domestic intelligence service, known officially as the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution, during the investigation.

As the highest prosecuting authority in Germany, the Federal Prosecutor’s Office is responsible for cases involving espionage and terrorism. The latest case follows a number of high-profile arrests linked to Chinese espionage in Germany this year.

In April, three people were detained in western Germany over suspected ties to Chinese intelligence services, including an aide to a politician from the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).

A Chinese woman was also detained in the eastern city of Leipzig in October after being accused of passing the aide sensitive information on the transport of military equipment at Leipzig/Halle Airport.