Brussels police officer suspected of spying for China and Russia

A Belgian security officer who was detained last week is accused of espionage.

Politico writes about this, citing local media and its own sources.

The officer worked at the Brussels police department. He was arrested in early October but was later released from custody with restrictions.

The officer is accused of spying for China, a source told Politico. He is also under investigation for possible additional spying for Russia.

Media reports say the officer was recruited to gather information because of his access to the international diplomatic community in Brussels. The Brussels Police Department oversees, in particular, the areas around the European Union institutions in the Belgian capital.

A spokesman for the local police service, whose area of responsibility covers the city of Brussels and the municipality of Ixelles, confirmed that an internal investigation is currently underway. He did not provide details.

The federal prosecutorʼs office and the federal police services also declined to comment.

The arrest comes amid growing pressure on Belgian security services. In February, Belgian newspaper Le Soir reported that Chinese hackers had infiltrated state security systems between 2021 and 2023, in what is believed to be the largest data breach in the serviceʼs history.

• Antwerp police recently arrested three young men suspected of planning a terrorist attack on politicians.

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