According to the Norwegian security police, the man arrested on Monday in Tromssa, northern Norway, is a threat to national security.
A man suspected of espionage has been arrested in Norway. According to the security police PST, the 30-40-year-old man has presented himself as Brazilian, but is actually Russian.
The authorities believe that the man, who works for the Russian intelligence service, created a false identity for himself.
The suspect arrived in Norway in the fall of 2021 and has worked as a researcher at the University of Tromssa in the northern part of the country. The subject of research has been, among other things, hybrid threats and hybrid warfare.
Read also: Confusing and terrifying hybrid warfare – but what exactly is it?
The man was arrested yesterday when he was on his way to his workplace. The court imprisoned the man today for four weeks.
Assistant Director of PST Hedvig Moe tells For the Norwegian broadcasting company NRK (you switch to another service)that the man is required to be deported from Norway to ensure national security.
The suspect’s defense attorney Thomas Hansen says For Norwegian TV2 (you switch to another service)that the man cannot understand the doubts expressed by the authorities.
Several people have been arrested in Norway in a short period of time due to behavior that raised Russian suspicions. The group has included, among other things, people who photographed various destinations with drones.
Last Friday, the Norwegian authorities announced that they had released the captured Russian drone pilots.