Alleged Chinese Spy Recruited Employee of German BND

On April 25, 2024, German police arrested a 43-year-old man in Dresden on suspicion of espionage for the Chinese intelligence service. The man, alleged to have spied from at least 2007, reportedly acted as a confidential informant for the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) before recruiting BND sources for China. The Federal Prosecutor's Office confirmed that the suspect delivered information from the European Parliament to Chinese intelligence and spied on Chinese dissidents residing in Germany. Investigations revealed that the man may have acted as a double agent. The Saxony State Office for the Protection of the Constitution initially did not have suspicions but later confirmed his activities. The suspect was an assistant to AfD politician Kräh and had ties to Chinese dissident organizations critical of the Chinese government, which raised difficulties in proving espionage. The Federal Prosecutor's Office emphasized the complexity of attribution and the great effort required to secure evidence, including cooperation with foreign intelligence services and witnesses. The suspect reportedly resigned after the arrest was made public, and the investigation is ongoing.