Feb 4, 2026, 5:54 p.mFeb 4, 2026, 5:54 p.m
France has arrested four Chinese on suspicion of espionage who are said to have attempted to use a satellite receiver to intercept sensitive military data and forward it to China. The four Chinese are being investigated for passing on information to a foreign power that could harm the fundamental interests of the nation, the public prosecutor’s office in Paris said. A remand request was made against two of the men. The Domestic Intelligence Service (DGSI) took over the investigation initiated by the Cyber Crime Department.
Investigators became aware of the Chinese after two of them rented a holiday apartment in southwest France and set up a two-meter parabolic antenna on the property. Neighbors alerted the police because their internet connection dropped at the same time. During a search of the apartment, officers discovered a computer system that was connected to parabolic antennas and enabled the reception of satellite data.
Focus on data exchange between military facilities
The National Radio Frequency Authority discovered the illegal use and interference of frequencies and the illegal possession of technical devices for receiving computer data, the public prosecutor’s office said. The installed device made it possible to illegally intercept the data flow from satellites and in particular the data exchange between important military facilities.
The two Chinese nationals had stated on their visa application to enter France that they worked as satellite communications engineers for a company that worked with universities that carried out projects for military purposes. Two other Chinese men were arrested when they showed up at the apartment. According to investigators, they are suspected of having imported the technical material illegally. A satellite antenna and a device for displaying satellite reception were discovered in one of their shops. (hkl/sda/dpa)