Two suspected Chinese spies, accused of using a sleepy village in south-western France to gather information, have been arrested. Residents of Camblanes-et-Meynac, about 15 miles from Bordeaux, grew suspicious when, after letting a house through rentals giant Airbnb, the Chinese pair erected a large parabolic antenna in the garden. The dish was directed at the sky and locals noticed its installation coincided with a spate of cuts to their own internet service.
Intelligence experts believe south-western France is being increasingly targeted by Chinese and other espionage due to the region's proximity to defense, aerospace, and telecommunication sites.
Last Saturday, officers from France's General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) raided the house and seized a large quantity of computer equipment. The men, aged 27 and 29, who arrived in France last month under work visas, have been charged with delivering information to a foreign power... likely to damage the interests [of France]. They are being held in custody.
The prosecutor's office claims the suspects were attempting to capture satellite data from Elon Musk's Starlink network and vital military data to retransmit them to China. These actions are part of a troubling trend, with instances of espionage in the area on the rise. In past cases, like the arrest of a 51-year-old engineer in Boulogne-sur-Gesse last summer, similar methods of surveillance were employed.
The arrests raise alarms about the scale of potential espionage targets in south-western France, which includes major defense installations connected to the military. The region's history as a vital defense research zone continues to attract the interest of foreign powers seeking to infiltrate sensitive communications. Local officials expressed astonishment at the idea of spies operating in their typically artistic community, emphasizing the unusual nature of the arrests.
Intelligence experts believe south-western France is being increasingly targeted by Chinese and other espionage due to the region's proximity to defense, aerospace, and telecommunication sites.
Last Saturday, officers from France's General Directorate for Internal Security (DGSI) raided the house and seized a large quantity of computer equipment. The men, aged 27 and 29, who arrived in France last month under work visas, have been charged with delivering information to a foreign power... likely to damage the interests [of France]. They are being held in custody.
The prosecutor's office claims the suspects were attempting to capture satellite data from Elon Musk's Starlink network and vital military data to retransmit them to China. These actions are part of a troubling trend, with instances of espionage in the area on the rise. In past cases, like the arrest of a 51-year-old engineer in Boulogne-sur-Gesse last summer, similar methods of surveillance were employed.
The arrests raise alarms about the scale of potential espionage targets in south-western France, which includes major defense installations connected to the military. The region's history as a vital defense research zone continues to attract the interest of foreign powers seeking to infiltrate sensitive communications. Local officials expressed astonishment at the idea of spies operating in their typically artistic community, emphasizing the unusual nature of the arrests.
