German federal prosecutors announced the arrest of two Munich residents on Wednesday on suspicion of working for Chinese intelligence to obtain and pass on high-tech information with military applications.

The suspects, identified as Xuejun C. and Hua S., are a married couple with German citizenship. They are alleged to have operated on behalf of a Chinese secret intelligence agency.

According to prosecutors, the couple built contacts with numerous scientists at German universities and research institutes to gain access to scientific information about high-tech technologies with military applications. They specifically focused on university professors in aerospace, space travel, IT, and artificial intelligence.

To gain access, they allegedly posed as translators and employees of a German car parts supplier. Some scientists were lured to China under the pretense of delivering paid lectures to civilian audiences, but in reality, these presentations took place in front of representatives of state-run weapons companies.

The arrests were carried out based on a warrant issued a week earlier, with federal prosecutors working in conjunction with Bavarian authorities. The couple was taken to the Federal Court of Justice in Karlsruhe for a decision on pretrial detention.

Searches were conducted at the couple's residences and workplaces in Munich. Further operations took place across the states of Bavaria, Baden-Württemberg, Berlin, Brandenburg, Lower Saxony, and North Rhine-Westphalia to contact witnesses not suspected of criminal activity.

Source: www.dw.com