According to Greek media reports on Wednesday, four Chinese citizens were arrested in Greece on charges of filming sensitive military facilities and F-16 fighter jets.
The incident took place near the Tanagra Air Base, as reported by Greek Protothema news website, but the exact time of the event was not specified.
At the time of the incident, four Chinese individuals, including a woman, were reportedly found filming sensitive military facilities, attracting the attention of security guards. Security personnel issued a warning and asked the four Chinese individuals to leave the area.
However, the four individuals ignored the warning and moved to a nearby bridge, continuing to film the military facilities and the F-16 fighter jets stationed at the 114th Combat Wing of the Air Force Base.
Due to allegations that these four individuals entered a restricted area and used high-resolution cameras for filming, their behavior was highly suspicious, raising concerns of possible espionage activities. The Air Force Police of the 114th Combat Wing immediately intervened upon receiving the notification and brought the four individuals in for questioning.
Preliminary investigations revealed that among the numerous photos taken by these Chinese citizens, apart from sensitive military facilities, there were also images of F-16 fighter jets. Before being detained by the Greek Air Force Police, they even attempted to upload the photos to an encrypted folder.
Subsequently, these Chinese citizens were taken to the Tanagra Police Station and handed over to the local police authorities and security agencies for processing.
The Tanagra Air Base is located about 70 kilometers north of Athens and serves as the home of the Greek Air Force’s 114th Combat Wing. The Wing received its first batch of six F-16 fighter jets in January 2022, with a total deployment of 24 F-16 fighter jets, including 18 single-seater and 6 two-seater models.
Currently, Greek law enforcement agencies are conducting further investigations into the incident to determine whether the filming of military facilities and aircraft by these four individuals was an isolated event or part of a broader intelligence-gathering operation.
Greek media, citing security department sources, reported that the security department is handling the case with the utmost seriousness, and the relevant evidence has been passed on to appropriate security agencies for evaluation.