Oslo, Norway — Authorities in Norway arrested a Chinese national espionage charges The country’s domestic intelligence service gave this information on Thursday in connection with an alleged attempt to install a receiver to collect sensitive satellite data.
Norwegian security officials also searched two premises in connection with the arrest, including one on an island northern norway It is home to the Andoya Spaceport, which is part of Europe’s efforts to increase its presence in space. The second discovery took place in Inlandet in southern Norway.
The Police Protection Service, or PST, said police launched their operation on suspicion that the Norwegian-registered company was acting as a front for a Chinese state actor.
The suspect, identified only as a Chinese woman, allegedly tried to “install a receiver for satellite downloads from satellites in polar orbits suitable for collecting data that could harm fundamental Norwegian interests if discovered by a foreign state,” PST police lawyer Thomas Blom said in a statement.
Police said the satellite receiver concerned has been seized and the alleged plan to install and operate it has been stopped.
“This incident constitutes a serious espionage effort against state secrets,” the statement said.
The police statement also said several other people have also been charged in the same case, without giving any further details, including their nationality and whether they have also been arrested.
Andoya Space CEO Ketil Olsen said in a statement Thursday that the company had “no connection to the individual involved” and that “no activity related to our operations was observed in this matter.”
