Shortly after Chancellor Olaf Scholz's (SPD) trip to China, Federal Prosecutor General Jens Rommel arrested three suspected spies who allegedly passed information about military technology to the Chinese secret service. This was reported by Spiegel, according to UNN.
Details
It is noted that investigators arrested a 59-year-old man from Bad Homburg and a couple from Düsseldorf on serious suspicion of "acting as a secret service agent" and violating the Foreign Trade Act.
The 59-year-old prime suspect, Thomas R., communicated with an employee of the Chinese secret service MSS and received information about "innovative technologies that could be used for military purposes" in Germany on his behalf. For this purpose, R. is said to have enlisted the help of the couple Gerwig (72) and Ina F. (58), who ran a company in Düsseldorf. Investigators are convinced that the company served as an "environment for establishing contact and cooperation" with German scientists and researchers. Among other things, there was a "cooperation agreement" with a German university,
According to the federal prosecutor's office, the information allegedly passed to the Chinese intelligence officer concerned, among other things, parts of modern machines that can be used in powerful ship engines, such as warships.
In addition, the defendants allegedly purchased a special laser in Germany on behalf of MSS and exported the device to China without authorization.
According to the federal prosecutor's office, the accused will now appear before an investigating judge of the Federal Court, who will decide on the issue of pre-trial detention.
Recall
A Chinese journalist has been arrested and will be deported from Sweden on espionage charges after working in several European countries, including Norway, for 10 years.