U.K., German police arrest 5 alleged Chinese spies in separate probes

U.K. and German police arrested five people for allegedly spying for China. German authorities said the suspects were thought to be working with the Chinese secret service.

British and German police separately charged or arrested five people for allegedly spying for China and stealing technology.

British police on Monday charged two men, aged 32 and 29, with providing prejudicial information to China, allegedly breaching of the Official Secrets Act.

They would appear in court on Friday, the Crown Prosecution Service said in a statement.

“This has been an extremely complex investigation into what are very serious allegations,” said Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the counter terrorism command at the Metropolitan Police.

There has been growing anxiety about China’s alleged espionage activity in Britain, particularly after it emerged last year that a parliamentary researcher was arrested on suspicion of spying for China.

The government said then that Chinese spies are targeting British officials in sensitive positions in politics, defence and business as part of an increasingly sophisticated spying operation to gain access to secrets.

Three Germans have also been arrested on suspicion of working with the Chinese secret service to hand over technology that could be used for military purposes, potentially helping strengthen China’s navy, German officials said on Monday.

Interior Minister Nancy Faeser said the government was monitoring what she called a significant threat posed by Chinese espionage in business, industry and science.