Canadian NATO intern arrested on suspicion of espionage in Belgium

A Canadian intern at NATO has been arrested on suspicions of espionage.

Belgium’s Federal Prosecutor’s Office said it launched an espionage investigation after NATO’s security services tipped off Belgium’s military intelligence.

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Authorities then detained “a Canadian citizen of Chinese origin” on Friday, a day after raiding the suspect’s home and workplace inside NATO’s vast command centre.

Belgium’s federal prosecutor said the intern is suspected of spying on behalf of a third country and being a member of a criminal organization.

The Canadian intern had been working at NATO’s strategic headquarters of the Allied Powers Europe, also known as SHAPE, which is located in Mons, a city in southwestern Belgium.

“Following a number of investigative tasks, an operation was carried out on Thursday 23, July, by the Charleroi FJP. Searches were carried out at the suspect’s home and at her place of work, at SHAPE,” reads the federal prosecutor’s statement, released Saturday.

The suspect was arrested Friday.

A Public Safety Canada spokesperson said in an email Saturday the department is not in a position to comment as the matter is under investigation.

“Canadians can be assured that all Government of Canada law enforcement and intelligence agencies maintain strong relationships with partner agencies that assist in addressing threat-related activity like those described in relation to the arrest made in Belgium on Thursday,” reads the statement from Margo Boyle.

Both Canada and Belgium are members of the 32-nation military alliance that in 2021 labelled China a “security challenge” alongside active threats in Russia and the Middle East.

NATO leaders have said China is working to undermine global order, develop its military opaquely, and run destabilizing disinformation campaigns. They said that Beijing’s goals and “assertive behaviour present systemic challenges to the rules-based international order and to areas relevant to alliance security.”

The Chinese government denounced the statement and said its military buildup was defensive.

The arrest in Belgium comes at a crucial time for the alliance as it weathers deep criticism from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has drawn down the U.S. security role in Europe.

Trump has been pressing allies to spend more on defence and join the conflict in Iran while at the same time threatening to seize by force Greenland from NATO-member Denmark, a move that rattled Europeans and the alliance.

— with files from Associated Press