Norway has arrested a Chinese citizen on suspicion of attempted espionage, in the second such case this month.
The man was suspected of “attempted illegal intelligence activities in Nordland”, Eirik Veum, a media spokesman for the interior security service PST, said.
The man was later remanded in custody for four weeks, although his lawyers rejected the allegations.
In the earlier case, according to PST prosecutor Thomas Blom, a woman was accused of using a company registered in Norway “as a cover for an attempt by a Chinese state actor to establish a receiving station to download data from satellites in the polar orbit”.
The suspect, identified only as a Chinese woman, allegedly attempted “to establish a receiver for downloads from satellites in polar orbits suitable for collecting data that could harm fundamental Norwegian interests if it becomes known to a foreign state”, Mr Blom said, adding that it involved “complicity in an attempt at serious espionage against state secrets”.
Police said several people had been charged in that case, but did not disclose their nationalities or whether they had been taken into custody.
At the time, Norwegian authorities had conducted searches at two locations linked to the arrest – a site on a northern island hosting the Andoya Spaceport, a vital component of Europe’s space ambitions, and another in Innlandet in the south.
Andoya Space’s CEO Ketil Olsen said the company had no connection “to the individual involved” and had “not observed any activity related to our operations in this matter”.
Norwegian intelligence agencies have repeatedly identified China and Russia as their main espionage threats.
“Russian and Chinese intelligence services pose the greatest threat on Norwegian territory, employing different methods to achieve their goals. Norwegian authorities assess their activities may undermine the country’s ability to deal with crises, impair the competitiveness of business and industry and make individuals feel they are no longer safe in the country,” the Norwegian National Threat Assessment for 2024 report stated.
“Norwegian authorities also assess foreign intelligence services will try to recruit individuals in Norway as sources, adopt increasingly more complex corporate structures, and demonstrate great creativity to procure sensitive technology from enterprises operating in Norway.”