On Thursday, May 7th, Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) reported that a Chinese woman was arrested by the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) for allegedly collecting Norwegian aerospace intelligence. The woman is set to appear in court for trial on Friday, May 8th.
The PST suspects that a company registered in Norway may have served as a cover for a Chinese (CCP) intelligence agency. According to PST, a Chinese citizen was arrested on suspicion of involvement in serious espionage activities.
Police conducted searches at two locations – One in Andøya, Nordland in northern Norway, and another in the city of Otta in Innland, central Norway.
Police prosecutor Thomas Blom stated that the operation was carried out due to suspicion that a registered company in Norway was acting as a cover for a Chinese (CCP) intelligence agency, attempting to download satellite data that could jeopardize Norway’s security if accessed by foreign entities.
Blom mentioned that PST has seized satellite receivers and halted their deployment plans.
The woman appeared in court on Friday for a detention hearing at the Oslo District Court.
The Oslo District Court confirmed to NRK that the detention issue will be resolved through written procedures, meaning the judge will handle the case in writing, and the parties involved do not need to be present.
NRK learned that several other individuals have been indicted but have not been arrested.
When questioned by NRK in Beijing on Friday, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied the allegations.
Andøya Space Center is located on Andøya Island in Nordland, northern Norway, hosting a rocket launch site and spaceport. Since 1962, over 1,200 various types of sounding rockets and suborbital rockets have been launched from this site.
Ketil Olsen, the Executive Vice President of Andøya Space Center, told NRK, “I don’t know if we should do this. But we realize that we may have become a target. We have made every effort to prepare ourselves, remain vigilant, and closely monitor our surroundings. That is basically the most important thing you can do.”
Olsen added, “We live in a defense town, with a missile launch site established here since the 1960s. We are accustomed to some events in the surrounding area that are different from our everyday lives. At the same time, we have noticed an increase in public attention, thanks to the recent focus on Andøya, particularly with the expansion of the Norwegian Armed Forces and the construction of new spaceports.”
“We closely monitor the standard definition of normality in this area. If abnormal situations arise, we will issue immediate alerts,” he emphasized.
Security expert Gaute Bjørklund Wangen believes that this incident aligns with the typical pattern of foreign intelligence agencies. He suggested that establishing a base in Otta was likely to mask related activities.
“It is worth noting whether they would use establishing companies to disguise intelligence operations as legitimate businesses,” Wangen told NRK.
He explained that, in contrast, Andøya’s interests appear more apparent.
“There are indeed some technical facilities on Andøya that may attract the interest of foreign intelligence agencies. This primarily involves areas such as infrastructure, rockets, and other potential targets,” he said.
Wangen emphasized that foreign governments seldom deploy personnel within Norway.
Industrial espionage activities carried out through means such as hacking have been ongoing for many years. Now, with personnel being “deployed on-site,” their risks are higher. This is definitely part of a larger-scale operation aimed at collecting data on a specific topic.
Norway may not necessarily be the primary target of this operation.
“This could be just part of a larger-scale operation spanning multiple countries. Ultimately, Norway may not be the specific target. They may simply see the strategic location here as advantageous for establishing a base to gather intelligence,” Wangen stated.
In PST’s 2025 National Threat Assessment Report, they specifically highlighted China (CCP) as one of the major espionage threats.
“Due to our geographical location, influence in international forums, and close alliance with the United States, we have become a target for China (CCP),” PST wrote.
The report further noted that their primary means remain economic. It suggested that this may include acquiring properties near critical infrastructure, military facilities, or properties with military significance.