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.
Media reports indicate his last name is Boljikovac. Reports also note that he was a “North Korea expert” and a former U.N. official. He 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.
His work experience includes being employed part-time as a senior advisor and lecturer at the Tsinghua University School of Environment in Beijing for the last nine years. It notes that he has worked as an adviser to the CEO of GEM Co. Ltd., also located in China since August 2016.
The Canadian was a manager at the U.N. Institute of Training and Research from 2000–2012, including three years as the manager for the chemical and waste management program.
He also served as an adviser for the World Wildlife Fund’s Canadian branch from 1998–2000.
