American arrested on espionage charges in Germany after ‘colluding with China’
An American has been arrested in Germany for espionage after being accused of conspiring with China.
Germany’s federal prosecutor’s office said the suspect, identified only as Martin D., was arrested in Frankfurt on Thursday and his home was searched.
The suspect, who until recently worked for the US armed forces in Germany, is strongly suspected of having agreed to act as an intelligence agent for a foreign secret service, the statement said.
Earlier this year, he contacted Chinese government agencies and offered to pass sensitive information from the U.S. military to a Chinese intelligence agency, German intelligence said.
The suspect obtained the information in question while working in the U.S. military, the prosecutor said, without providing further information.
An American has been arrested in Germany for espionage after being accused of conspiring with China. The photo shows Chinese President Xi Jinping
German news agency dpa reported that it appeared the suspect had failed to hand over data to Chinese authorities before the arrest.
Investigators in the European country have unmasked several people suspected of spying for China this year.
Last month, German authorities arrested a Chinese national accused of passing information about a major air cargo hub to a man suspected of spying for China.
In April, a man working for a prominent German far-right MP in the European Parliament was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.
News of that arrest came a day after three Germans suspected of spying for China and arranging the transfer of information about technology with possible military use were arrested in a separate case.
The trio, named as married couple Herwig and Ina F. and their alleged accomplice Thomas R., are accused of participating in an information collection project funded by Chinese government agencies, and of illegally exporting a laser to China.
German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser warned of the ‘significant danger posed by Chinese espionage in business, industry and science’
According to the Financial Times, the trio is also said to have smuggled an advanced laser with military applications to China. They allegedly did not report this and received permission from the EU, which is illegal.
This came after German Interior Minister Nancy Faeser warned of the “significant danger posed by Chinese espionage in business, industry and science.”
At the time of their arrest, the suspects are also believed to be engaged in further negotiations on research projects that could be useful in expanding China’s maritime combat capabilities.