A 25-year-old Malaysian student was recently arrested in Norway for allegedly carrying out spying activities on the government.
According to local media, the Norwegian police intelligence agency, Politiets Sikkerhetstjeneste (PST) has since charged the student with spying on the prime minister’s office, the defence ministry, and other government offices in the capital city of Oslo.
M’sian student detained in Norway for allegedly spying on the government
The student, whose identity remains undisclosed, was caught on CCTV loitering outside government offices in a rental car while allegedly trying to tap into their electronic communications on Sept 8.
However, he was apparently under PST surveillance prior to the arrest and several data-carrying devices and electronic items were seized, which are slated to be subjected to further investigation.
Two days after the arrest, the student was formally charged in court for espionage and intelligence operations against the country, reported NST. He reportedly pleaded not guilty during police interrogation.
PST also revealed that the 25-year-old claimed to be a student but wasn’t enrolled in any Norwegian university or lived in the country for a long time.
However, they reiterated that they believe the Malaysian government had no involvement in the espionage and suggested that the suspect had a passport of convenience.
Remanded for 4 weeks
In the meantime, the suspect has been placed in custody for four weeks while investigations continue, where he will be kept in isolation for the first two weeks to prevent him from contacting anyone outside.
State prosecutor Thomas Fredrik Blom told Norwegian Broadasting (NRK) that authorities believe the suspect wasn’t a lone wolf in the espionage.
We don’t quite know what we’re facing. We are in a critical, initial, and vulnerable phase of the investigation.
“There’s such danger of tampering with evidence that we’re being very careful with what we can reveal right now,” he said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also confirmed the incident, where it said in an official statement released yesterday (Sept 12) that the Malaysian Embassy in Stockholm is keeping close contact with Norwegian authorities to garner more information.
Siaran Akhbar: Penahanan Seorang Lelaki Dipercayai Warganegara Malaysia di Oslo, Norway pic.twitter.com/LgWrSS9iFh
— Wisma Putra (@MalaysiaMFA) September 12, 2023
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