London – British authorities announced the apprehension of a man in his twenties suspected of espionage, with reports from The Sunday Times suggesting that the individual, a researcher within the British Parliament, is under investigation for allegedly operating on behalf of China.
The Metropolitan Police Servicestated, “Two men were detained on March 13 under suspicion of violating section 1 of the Official Secrets Act, 1911. One, in his 30s, was arrested in Oxfordshire, while another in his 20s was apprehended in Edinburgh.”
According to The Sunday Times, the individual in his twenties is alleged to have had interactions with members of the ruling Conservative Party, including Security Minister Tom Tugendhat and Alicia Kearns, chairwoman of the Commons foreign affairs committee. He is a British national with a background in international policy, notably in relation to China, and has previously worked in the People’s Republic.
If substantiated, these allegations would mark one of the most grave security breaches involving a foreign state within the precincts of the UK Parliament.
It is worth noting that the UK’s domestic intelligence agency, MI5, had cautioned last year about the activities of a female Chinese government operative named Christine Lee, who was purportedly engaged in political interference on behalf of the Chinese Communist Party within the British Parliament. Additionally, in July, the Commons intelligence and security committee asserted that China had been engaging in substantial and aggressive targeting of the UK, while the government lacked the requisite resources, expertise, or knowledge to effectively counter these activities.
Notably, it has been reported that Security Minister Tom Tugendhat had limited contact with the individual under investigation, particularly while serving in his capacity as security minister.
Source AFP
