Britain charges 2, Germany arrests 3 for Chinese spying
April 22 (UPI) -- London's Metropolitan Police announced it charged two men Monday accused of spying on Britain for China for at least a year while German authorities made three arrests.
The Met's Counter Terrorism Command took into custody Christopher Berry, 32, of Oxfordshire, and Christopher Cash, 29, of Whitechapel and London, and charged them with official secrets act offenses.
Berry and Cash are scheduled to appear at the Westminster Magistrates' Court on Friday.
"This has been an extremely complex investigation into what are very serious allegations," Counter Terrorism Command Head Commander Dominic Murphy said in a statement. "We've worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service as our investigation has progressed and this has beento the two men being charged today."
Officials said from Dec. 28, 2021, through Feb. 3, 2023, Berry was involved in spying activities for China, which included obtaining, collecting, recording and other activities for China. Cash is accused of spying from Jan. 20, 2022, through Feb. 3, 2023.
Met Police said they had previously arrested both men on March 13, 2023, during its investigation but they were both initially released on bail. The Crown Prosecution Service continued the probe, leading to the charges and Monday's arrests.
In Germany, prosecutors said three, all German nationals, were arrested on Monday on suspicion that they supplied information on military technology to Chinese authorities.
Prosecutors said they believed the suspects, identified as Herwig F., Ina F. and Thomas R., had worked for Chinese intelligence sometime before June 2022.
German prosecutors said Thomas R. obtained data on "innovative technologies" used by the German military. They said Herwig F. and Ina F., who operated a company in Dusseldorf, had an agreement with a German university that also included a Chinese partner on machine parts important to operating strong combat ship engines.
"Behind the Chinese contractual partner was an employee of the MSS, from whom Thomas R. received his orders. The project was financed by state-run Chinese authorities," German prosecutors said in a statement.
"Upon their arrest, the accused were in further negotiations on research projects that could be used for expanding China's maritime fighting strength in particular."
In January, China's Ministry of State Security had accused Britain of espionage involving a foreign national who allegedly used their position leading an overseas consulting agency to illegally gain access to state secrets for London's Secret Intelligence Service.
The suspect, only identified by his surname Huang, was accused of entering China several times for alleged business purposes to collect Chinese intelligence, the ministry said.
