According to a local report, a Norwegian citizen is suspected of engaging in serious intelligence activities concerning state secrets.

A Norwegian citizen has been detained under suspicion of spying for China, as reported by Norway’s NTB news agency on Tuesday. The individual, whose identity has not been disclosed, was apprehended on Monday for alleged espionage believed to be advantageous to China, according to NTB's report based on information from Norway’s domestic security agency, PST. The suspect, facing a court hearing in Oslo later on Tuesday, is accused of serious intelligence activities involving state secrets, as detailed by NTB. PST was not immediately available for comment, while the suspect’s lawyer, Marius Dietrichson, informed VG newspaper that his client denies any involvement as a Chinese agent.

Neither Dietrichson, PST, nor the Chinese embassy in Oslo responded immediately to requests for comment. In its annual threat assessment published in February, Norway’s domestic security service highlighted China as a significant intelligence threat in 2024, citing strained relations with the West, China’s strategic interests in supply chains, and its Arctic positioning. PST underscored the substantial intelligence risk posed by China.

Norway has previously uncovered suspected foreign intelligence activities within its borders. In 2022, a lecturer at Tromsoe's Arctic University of Norway, initially entering the country as a Brazilian citizen named Jose Assis Giammaria (who later identified himself as Mikhail Mikushin), was arrested for suspected espionage on behalf of a Russian intelligence agency. Mikushin, who arrived in Norway in 2021, focused his research on northern regions and hybrid threats. A trial date for Mikushin has yet to be scheduled.