Paris Prosecutor’s Office announced on Wednesday (February 4) that four individuals have been arrested in France on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities for the Chinese Communist Party, including two Chinese citizens.
According to Reuters, the Paris Prosecutor’s Office stated in a press release that the cybercrime unit has initiated a judicial investigation into the case.
The statement added that prior to the arrest operation, French law enforcement authorities discovered two Chinese citizens entering French territory with the purpose of obtaining satellite data from the “Starlink” network, as well as data from important entities, especially military entities, to transmit back to their home country – China.
The statement further mentioned that the four individuals have been brought before investigating judges, with two of them being remanded in custody.
Based on the Prosecutor’s Office statement, French police received a report on January 30 alleging that two Chinese citizens were conducting satellite signal interception activities at an Airbnb accommodation in Gironde, southwest France. Local residents noticed the installation of a satellite antenna with a diameter of about two meters, coinciding with an internet outage in the area.
The investigation, led by the Paris Prosecutor’s Office cybercrime unit, has now been handed over to the French domestic intelligence agency.
Investigators conducted a search on January 31, where they discovered a computer system connected to the satellite antenna used for intercepting satellite data and confiscated the system for analysis. Two individuals involved in the case have been detained.
Two other individuals were arrested upon arriving at the residence, suspected of illegally importing related equipment. The judicial investigation will focus on suspected illegal activities, including the unauthorized disclosure of sensitive information to foreign entities (potentially harming national interests), and organized groups stealing data from automated processing systems.
This case is the latest in a series of incidents involving Chinese espionage activities in Europe in recent times. With Western intelligence agencies issuing increasingly more warnings about Chinese government-supported cyber attacks, tensions on espionage issues between Beijing and Western countries are escalating. The Chinese Communist Party has consistently denied these accusations.
On January 22, Czech police announced the detention of an individual suspected of belonging to a Chinese intelligence agency. The individual was subsequently charged with engaging in unauthorized activities on behalf of a foreign power.
On January 7, the US Department of Justice announced that a Chinese citizen faced criminal charges in a federal court in the western district of Missouri for unauthorized photography of important US Air Force military facilities and equipment. The case involved the primary base for the US military’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, raising concerns in Congress about the security of US military bases and counter-espionage efforts.