A NATO intern was arrested in Belgium on suspicion of espionage.

An intern at NATO's Strategic Headquarters Allied Powers Europe (SHAPE) in Mons, Belgium, has been arrested by the Belgian Federal Judicial Police as part of an espionage investigation. The suspect, a Canadian national of Chinese origin, is suspected of having acted on behalf of a third-party state, the Belgian Federal Prosecutor's Office announced.

According to judicial authorities, the young woman is also being prosecuted for participating in a criminal organization. The investigation was opened following a report from SHAPE's internal security services, which had identified elements deemed sufficiently concerning to alert the General Intelligence and Security Service (SGRS), the Belgian military intelligence service.

Searches were carried out at SHAPE and at the suspect's home.

Following this report, the federal prosecutor's office entrusted the investigation to the federal judicial police in Charleroi. On Thursday, investigators carried out several searches, including at the suspect's home and at her workplace within the NATO facilities in Mons.

Following these operations, an investigating judge decided to place the intern under arrest on Friday. However, Belgian authorities have not released any details about the information that may have been targeted or the country for which the alleged espionage was carried out.

A sensitive investigation for the Atlantic Alliance

This case comes amid heightened vigilance among NATO member states regarding the risks of espionage and foreign interference. The SHAPE facilities, which constitute the Alliance's main military headquarters in Europe, are among the most sensitive sites in terms of defense and security.

The investigation is now continuing under the authority of the Belgian justice system to determine the extent of the charges against the suspect, any information she may have had access to, and the existence of any accomplices. No further arrests have been announced at this stage.