The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) reported that a Chinese citizen was detained for complicity in an attempted espionage operation, the likely target of which may have been the Andøya spaceport. Two other suspects are abroad, likely in China.
This was reported by NRK.
As part of the investigation, police conducted searches at two addresses — on the island of Andøya in Nordland and in Otta in Innlandet. PST prosecutor Thomas Blom informed the publication of this.
“The operation is linked to suspicions that a company registered in Norway served as a front for Chinese intelligence, which was attempting to obtain satellite data capable of harming Norway’s security if it fell into the hands of a foreign state,” he stated.
The Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) also reported that two other individuals involved in the case are abroad, presumably in China. Additionally, one company is implicated in the case.
“We believe that a state actor is behind this, operating under the cover of a company registered in Norway, which in turn is owned by a company registered in Singapore, where one individual serves as the executive director,” he added.
The PST confirmed that a container had already been seized at the Port of Oslo in connection with the case, in which a 22-ton satellite data reception terminal was found. The court ordered the detained woman to be held in custody for four weeks with a ban on correspondence and visits.
According to the prosecutor, it is too early to say whether the case is linked to the Andøya Space Center, located on the island of Andøya and owned by Andøya Space, or to military activity on or near the island. That is for the investigation to determine.
“I don’t know if we were supposed to be informed about this. But we are aware that we could be a target. We have prepared as well as we could, remain vigilant, and are monitoring our surroundings. Essentially, that is the most important thing we can do,” said Ketil Olsen, the group’s CEO, in a comment to NRK.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry rejected the espionage allegations, calling them “baseless and malicious,” and stated that he expects Norway to “ensure the woman’s legal rights.”
In the PST’s 2025 National Threat Assessment, China is identified as one of the key intelligence threats targeting Norway due to its strategic geographic location, international influence, and close cooperation with the United States.
