Greek and French authorities, within hours of each other, arrested individuals suspected of involvement in espionage cases in favor of China, raising the alarm at a pan-European level. Although the cases are not directly related, they share common elements, with a main focus on advanced communication technologies and NATO activities.
In Greece, authorities arrested a 54-year-old colonel of the Armed Forces, who was serving in a training unit in Kavouri. The officer, a telecommunications and information systems engineer, had built up a high professional profile over the years, with specialized knowledge in surveillance radars, wireless and wired communications, electronic warfare, surveillance systems and radio navigation. According to official sources, he had access to sensitive information related to media movements, individuals and military formations, with particular emphasis on NATO structures. It was precisely this access that made him the subject of several months of discreet surveillance by the Greek authorities, which ended with his arrest.
Investigations show that his high level of training and interest in electronic media were key factors in his recruitment, with the aim of transferring critical information and defense technology to China. It is suspected that he used equipment with special software supplied by the Chinese party, photographing secret documents and sending them electronically. His activity was revealed through digital traces, including the use of QR codes, which allowed for identification and stopping the information leak.
Following his arrest, the colonel was taken to the Air Court, where he is being questioned by military authorities and the Hellenic Security Service about his possible connections, as well as the existence of collaborators. Concerns have also been raised over suspicions that he had recruited at least one other person, while his daily contact with junior officers adds to fears of a possible network within the Armed Forces. According to military sources, the arrest took place shortly before the officer was to send new information related to high technology and Greek defense to China. Due to his role in sensitive sectors of NATO intelligence, the case is considered particularly serious and worrying even for the US.
In France, similar arrests in the Gironde region have reinforced suspicions of a common recruitment pattern, where individuals with education and training in communication technologies and electronic media were trying to obtain data on satellite networks, including Starlink, and NATO activities. In an official statement, the General Staff of the National Defense of Greece confirmed that the arrest was made on 5 February 2026, within a military area and in collaboration with other state services, for criminal offenses related to the collection and transmission of secret military information to third parties, with a serious risk to national interests. Investigations are ongoing, while the authorities’ priority remains the detection of any possible espionage network within military structures.
