France Arrests Chinese Spies: Attempting to Install and Test Military-Grade Satellite Signal Interception Equipment in France
February 5 (Secret Translation Group) — Kyodo News reports that French authorities have arrested four people, including two Chinese nationals, on suspicion of engaging in espionage activities for China. The prosecutor's office announced this news on the 4th. If convicted, the suspects may face up to 15 years in prison.
According to the Paris Prosecutor's Office, the four suspects were arrested on January 31 in the Gironde department of the southwest. Two of the Chinese suspects are suspected of renting private homes through a homestay platform to participate in a plan to steal data, including military intelligence.
It is claimed that the purpose of these two Chinese suspects' trip to France was to steal data from services such as "Starlink," the satellite internet service under the US company SpaceX, and transmit it to China. The prosecution pointed out that the two claimed in their visa application materials to be engineers at a research and development company specializing in wireless communication equipment. They also announced that two other suspects were arrested for suspected illegal importation of wireless communication equipment, but did not disclose their identity details.
The General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) of France also participated in the investigation of this case, focusing on investigations into "providing intelligence to foreign powers" that may harm the core interests of the state.
The incident began on January 30, when residents witnessed the installation of a satellite antenna approximately 2 meters in diameter. After the antenna was installed, network connection interruptions occurred in the surrounding area. During a search the following day, police discovered a "computer system connected to the satellite antenna with satellite data interception capabilities."
France Arrests Chinese Spies: Attempting to Install and Test Military-Grade Satellite Signal Interception Equipment in France 1
The National Frequency Agency specially reported cases of "frequency interference" and "illegal possession of computer data eavesdropping technical equipment." According to the prosecution, once activated, the system would be able to "illegally intercept data transmitted from satellites to the ground, especially military communication content."
In recent months, France, the Czech Republic, Germany, and the UK have successively reported spying incidents involving China, endangering almost all of Europe.
Related articles:
US Official: China Eavesdrops on "Very Senior" Political Figures' Phone Calls I am a Harvard student, a Chinese agent tried to recruit me as a spy