Norwegian authorities have arrested a second Chinese national in a widening espionage investigation in the country’s north, just weeks after a Chinese woman was detained over suspected satellite spying activities, The Straits Times reports.
Norway’s domestic security service, Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), said the Chinese man was arrested on May 15 in Nordland county on suspicion of “attempted illegal intelligence activities”.
Few details have been released about the case, but a Norwegian court has ordered the man held in custody for four weeks. His lawyer says he denies the allegations.
The arrest follows an earlier case announced by PST on May 7 involving a Chinese woman suspected of attempting to establish a satellite data receiving station in Norway on behalf of a Chinese state actor.
According to Norwegian authorities, the suspected operation involved plans to download data from satellites in polar orbit through a company registered in Norway.
The cases have increased attention on possible Chinese intelligence activities in Arctic and northern Norwegian areas.
