HIBAPRESS – Agencies
The Federal Prosecutor's Office in Germany has ordered the arrest of two individuals in Munich suspected of "scientific espionage" for China.
According to the highest prosecutorial authority in Germany, it is believed that these two individuals, a married couple holding German citizenship, established contacts with several scientists in German universities and research institutions on behalf of a Chinese intelligence agency. The Federal Prosecutor's Office, headquartered in Karlsruhe, explained that security operations were carried out in several German states. According to statements from the Federal Prosecutor's Office, the aim of the couple's communication with these entities was to obtain "scientific information related to advanced technology that could be used in the military field." Simultaneously with the arrests, security measures were implemented in the states of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia. The Federal Prosecutor's Office stated that these measures concern individuals classified in the case as witnesses and are not suspected of committing the crime. The homes and workplaces of the arrested couple in Munich were also searched. The prosecution added that among the people with whom the suspects had established contact were "university professors specializing specifically in aerospace engineering, computer science, and artificial intelligence." According to the investigations, the accused presented themselves to these scientists sometimes as interpreters and other times as employees of a car manufacturing company. The prosecution explained that "some scientists were lured to China under the pretext of giving lectures to a civilian audience in exchange for financial rewards, but in reality, those lectures were held in front of members of governmental military manufacturing companies." The arrested couple is scheduled to be presented today to an investigating judge at the Federal Supreme Court, who will inform them of the arrest warrants and decide on their pre-trial detention. The prosecution continued that the investigations were conducted in cooperation with the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (domestic intelligence), while the branch of the Criminal Investigation Office in the state of Bavaria took over the police investigation tasks.
