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full screen A former soldier has been arrested in the United States, suspected of attempted espionage. Archive image. Photo: Alex Brandon/AP/TT
A former US Army soldier has been arrested on suspicion of passing classified information to China.
The 29-year-old man, who held the rank of sergeant when he served in the army’s intelligence service from 2015 to 2020, is formally accused of misappropriating national defense information which he then tried to hand over to China.
The suspect is said to have sought contact with Chinese representatives at the country’s consulate in Turkey and in Hong Kong since he left the military service.
He was arrested in San Francisco on Friday when he returned from his stay in China. According to the Department of Justice in the United States, he risks 20 years in prison if he is convicted.