Canadian officials say they are working with Swiss authorities in the case of a Canadian who has been arrested in that country on suspicion of spying for China.
The man’s arrest came to light as part of a joint investigation by German news outlet Der Spiegel, Swiss media company Tamedia, and North Korea-focused website NK News.
Global Affairs Canada (GAC) told The Epoch Times that the department is aware that a Canadian citizen has been detained in Switzerland, but offered no additional information.
“Consular officials are in contact with local authorities,” GAC said in an Aug. 10 email. “Due to privacy considerations, no further information can be disclosed.”
The Swiss Attorney General’s office told The Epoch Times it does “not comment on any ongoing or pending criminal proceedings and/or preliminary investigations in the field of espionage.”
Court documents in French provided by the AG’s office don’t identify the man by name, but indicate that Swiss authorities started an investigation in March 2023.
He is reportedly a “North Korea expert” and a former U.N. official, and was known to often travel to China for work as an environmental consultant.
He has been described as a 50-something Canadian who is accused of spying for China in multiple investigations that date back to 2021, NK News said.
The news comes as there is an ongoing public inquiry into foreign interference in Canada.
The inquiry was launched after extensive media coverage based on intelligence leaks that China has been interfering in Canadian elections and other democratic institutions.
China has also been operating a number of secret Chinese police stations in Canada, according to Canadian security and law enforcement agencies.
