Greece and France charge suspects in separate China-linked espionage cases

Greek and French authorities are investigating suspicions of Chinese espionage targeting NATO technology, satellite data and military secrets, raising fears of wider espionage networks.

Greek and French authorities arrested suspected spies in separate operations this week, with both cases involving the alleged transmission of classified military data to China.

Greek military authorities arrested a colonel on Thursday on suspicion of providing classified and top-secret information to China, according to the National Defense General Staff.

The officer was arrested inside the military camp where he was stationed. According to investigators, he is suspected of having access to information about new technologies the Armed Forces are developing and was sending classified information electronically from within his unit.

Greek authorities said there are indications that the officer tried to recruit others into an intelligence network.

The Greek Ministry of Defense said there were “clear indications of the commission of criminal offenses under the Military Criminal Code,” specifically “the collection and transmission of secret information of military importance to third parties, with the risk of causing harm to national interests.”

The officer, who commands a training battalion focused on telecommunications and electronic systems, was stationed at an Air Force unit in Kavouri and had access to classified information from multiple branches of the Greek military and allied countries, according to Greek media reports.

The Greek newspaper Kathimerini reported that the officer allegedly transferred top-secret information using a special classified program. Authorities found a “specially programmed machine” allegedly supplied by Chinese authorities to photograph classified documents and send them to recipients.

Greek media reported that the officer confessed after his arrest, describing being recruited by a Chinese official, possibly at a conference abroad, and accepting passing on the information in return for payment.

The matter began to unravel about two months ago when the CIA informed Greece's National Intelligence Service that a member of the Greek Armed Forces was providing China with sensitive information regarding NATO matters, according to kathimerini.gr.

Much of the material is suspected to be related to NATO projects, which have attracted the interest of NATO allies, particularly the United States.

Fears of satellite espionage in France

In France, authorities have charged four people, including two Chinese nationals, with suspected interception of sensitive military data, the French Press Agency reported on Thursday.

The four people were arrested over the weekend in southwestern Gironde, where the two Chinese suspects are alleged to have rented Airbnb apartments as part of a plan to gather sensitive information, including military intelligence.

The issue began when residents saw the installation of a satellite dish with a diameter of about two meters on January 30, which coincided with a local internet outage.

An investigation the next day identified a “computer system connected to satellite antennas” that allowed the recording of satellite data. Authorities believe the installation may have captured “exchanges between military entities,” AFP reported.

According to reports, the two Chinese nationals traveled to France with the aim of collecting data from the Starlink satellite internet system and "other vital entities" and transmitting it to China.

The French investigation focuses on "handing over information to a foreign power" that could harm essential national interests, a criminal offense punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Two people were arrested and two others were placed under judicial supervision. The other two suspects were arrested for illegally importing the equipment, AFP reported.

Greek and French authorities are investigating how much material was transmitted, what specific information was involved, who the recipients were, and whether intelligence networks existed.